Allegorical figure of a warrior standing on a globe with the papal coat of arms at his feet 1583 - 1629

This print, "Allegorical figure of a warrior standing on a globe with the papal coat of arms at his feet," was made by Aegidius Sadeler II around the turn of the 17th century. It's an engraving, meaning that the image was incised into a metal plate, likely copper, with a tool called a burin. Look closely, and you can see how the varying pressure of the artist's hand has created lines of different weights, giving the figure its three-dimensional form. Engraving like this was a highly skilled craft. The artist had to be both technically precise and creatively adept. Prints like this one were important, because they allowed images to circulate widely. This particular print would have served as propaganda, associating the Catholic Church with military power. The choice of engraving as a medium is key here; it connected artistic skill to the political aim of spreading a message, blurring the lines between art, craft, and power.