John the Baptist holding a staff, from "Piccoli Santi" (Small Saints) 1495 - 1532

Marcantonio Raimondi made this depiction of John the Baptist holding a staff sometime between 1490 and 1534, using engraving. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning the image is incised into a surface, here a copper plate, and then filled with ink. Look closely, and you can see how the network of fine lines creates areas of tone and shadow, defining the figure’s muscular physique. Engraving like this was crucial to the rise of print culture, a kind of proto-industrial revolution. It allowed images to be reproduced and disseminated widely. This had a huge impact on the speed with which new ideas could circulate in the Renaissance. Raimondi himself made a living by reproducing the designs of other artists, including Raphael. So, in considering this small, but powerful print, it’s important to recognize the amount of work involved in the production process, and how new technologies changed the business of art.