Judith Slaying Holofernes, from The Power of Women, plate 5 1551

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert made this engraving of Judith Slaying Holofernes in the 16th century. It is made using a metal plate, ink, and paper. But the real story is in the making. Engraving demands careful, skillful labor. Imagine the focused concentration required to incise those lines, each one a deliberate act. The network of tiny cuts creates the image, a testament to the engraver's precision. It’s this labor-intensive process that gives the print its unique character. Coornhert was a master of this, using the technique to portray Judith's triumph over Holofernes. In doing so, he demonstrates not only the story of the heroine, but also the power of the printed image itself, widely accessible and reproduced, impacting social and cultural values. The method transforms a biblical scene into something tangible, reproducible, and, ultimately, influential. So, next time you look at a print, remember the hand that guided the burin, and the world that was changed by the mass production of images.