Mercurius, blazend op een trompet 1528 - 1573

Etienne Delaune made this print, Mercurius, Blazend op een Trompet, sometime in the 16th century. It's an engraving, meaning that the artist would have used a tool called a burin to cut lines into a copper plate, which would then be inked and printed. Engraving like this was painstaking work, requiring years of training to master the control of line needed to create such intricate detail. The image itself—a dense array of figures and decorative elements, all organized within a shield-like form—speaks to the social function of prints at this time. They were often used to disseminate classical motifs and design ideas to a broad audience, and were used for reproduction and distribution. Prints like this one played a crucial role in the development of visual culture, as they made images and patterns accessible to artisans and manufacturers across Europe. The labor involved in their creation was thus leveraged across many other trades, from goldsmithing to furniture making. By understanding the material and social context of this print, we can appreciate its significance not just as a work of art, but as a tool for shaping taste and driving commerce.