Ornamental Panel 1514 - 1536

This “Ornamental Panel” was made by Agostino Veneziano, an Italian engraver, sometime in the early 16th century. It’s made using a printmaking technique that involves carving lines into a metal plate, inking the surface, and then running it through a press. The network of thin, precise lines that define the image may seem delicate, but it took serious physical labor to create the matrix from which it came. The material qualities of the metal used for the plate had to be carefully considered, along with the tools used to carve it, and the kind of pressure applied to produce the final image. In this case, the print shows how fine art and craft often come together. Veneziano was engaging with a burgeoning print market, where images could be reproduced and circulated more easily than ever before. So, while he worked within established artistic traditions, he was also part of a much wider world of production and consumption. Understanding that context helps us to see how different forms of creative practice are deeply intertwined.