The Virgin in prayer, looking up with clouds behind her, in an oval frame, after Reni 1648 - 1681

Francois de Poilly created this print of the Virgin Mary in the late 17th century, after a painting by Guido Reni. It's made using a technique called engraving, where the artist uses a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a copper plate. Ink is then pressed into these lines, and the image is transferred to paper. Look closely, and you’ll see the incredible detail achieved through this process. Poilly masterfully renders the soft textures of Mary's garments and the ethereal quality of the clouds. Engraving demanded immense skill and patience. It was also a reproductive medium. Prints like these circulated widely, disseminating imagery and ideas across Europe. In this way, craft enabled a kind of mass communication. While Poilly was not inventing the image of The Virgin, he was instrumental in sharing it. This beautiful print reminds us that even seemingly traditional images are products of specific techniques, and of a wider world of labor, politics, and consumption.