The Entombment 1547 - 1566

Battista Franco made this engraving, The Entombment, sometime in the mid-16th century. Franco worked the metal plate with burins and other tools to create a network of fine lines, which would hold the ink for printing. This was a highly skilled, labor-intensive process. Look at the range of tones, achieved by varying the density and depth of the engraved lines. The image feels almost sculptural, with figures emerging from the shadows. Engraving demanded not only technical skill but also patience and precision. The engraver’s hand, guided by intellect and artistic sensibility, transformed a blank plate into a matrix for disseminating images and ideas. The very act of making the image infuses it with a sense of reverence and care. Paying attention to materials and processes allows us to appreciate the layers of meaning embedded within the image, moving beyond subject matter to consider the act of creation itself.