Vrouw uit Bayonne 1562

François Desprez made this engraving of a woman from Bayonne sometime in the 16th century. The print is made using the intaglio process, where the image is incised into a metal plate, inked, and then transferred to paper under high pressure. The process of engraving itself is labor-intensive, requiring great skill to control the depth and fineness of the lines. Here, those lines not only describe the woman’s form, but also the textures of her clothing: the subtle folds of her headscarf, the heavier drape of her gown. This is no simple record; it’s a study of material culture. And that makes sense, because prints like this circulated widely, providing a glimpse into other places and customs, and the different kinds of textiles and garments worn by people in different social positions. Engravings like this one helped to fuel the engine of global exchange, creating demand for new goods and ever-more refined means of production.