Titelblad: Nouveau Livre d'Autel 1690

This print, "Titelblad: Nouveau Livre d'Autel" was made by Juan Dolivar in the late 17th century using engraving. The technique involves cutting lines into a metal plate, applying ink, and then pressing it onto paper. Engraving is a skilled process, requiring precision and control, resulting in finely detailed images. Here, the material limitations have been turned to advantage in the rendering of an altar, complete with figures, columns, and ornamentation. The print aims to demonstrate the wonders of divine creation and their physical presence in a worship space. Prints like this one played a vital role in disseminating images and ideas during this period. They speak to the rise of a print culture, enabling the mass production and circulation of visual information. This points to the dawn of a capitalist system, where art and design could be reproduced and sold to a broader public. Considering the social context and the means of production allows us to understand this work not just as a religious image, but as a product of its time.