Bruid knielt voor de koning 1574

This engraving, Bruid knielt voor de koning, was made by Wierix around the turn of the 17th century. It's a print, meaning that multiple impressions could be pulled from a single worked plate, in this case made of copper. Consider the amount of labor involved in the production of an image like this. The original design would have to be carefully cut into the metal, line by painstaking line, using specialized tools called burins. The fineness of the detail is remarkable, especially given the miniature scale of the image. Each impression would be identical to the others, offering a consistent visual message. Prints like this had a social purpose. They were often devotional in nature, and relatively inexpensive, meaning that they could spread ideas widely among a population, in a way paintings and sculptures never could. In this way, the material and means of production are completely inseparable from the image's function. It’s a powerful reminder that even the most rarefied-seeming imagery is, in fact, profoundly connected to everyday life.