Landschap met S. Rochus 17th century

This landscape scene with Saint Roch was produced by an anonymous artist as an engraving, a printmaking technique that depends on focused labor. The process begins by incising a design onto a metal plate, typically copper, using a tool called a burin. This requires considerable skill and control, as the depth and angle of the cuts determine the thickness and darkness of the lines in the final print. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. Finally, a sheet of paper is laid on the plate, and both are run through a high-pressure printing press. The resulting image possesses a distinctive graphic quality, with sharp, precise lines and a rich tonal range. Because the matrix can be re-inked, it allows for the reproduction of identical images. In its day, prints like this allowed for the relatively inexpensive circulation of devotional imagery, connecting the faithful across great distances. The intense labor of the engraver stands behind this quiet image.