Perpetua 1826 - 1886

Dirk Jurriaan Sluyter created this print, titled Perpetua, using engraving, a painstaking intaglio process. The image is first incised into a metal plate. The lines are then filled with ink, and the plate is pressed onto paper. The act of engraving itself speaks to labor and precision. Each line must be carefully etched, demanding remarkable patience and skill. The dense network of these lines creates the tonal range we see, from the darkest shadows to the lightest highlights, giving the scene its dramatic depth. Notice the contrast between the smooth faces and the textured clothing. The social context of printmaking is important here. Engravings like this one were often reproduced and disseminated widely, making art accessible to a broader audience, beyond the elite circles of painting and sculpture. In its own way, then, even this scene of social injustice is mediated by a democratic impulse. The very act of its making allows for distribution.