View into the Courtyard of a Palace with a Rivergod in the Center of a Rectangular Pond (N.H.) 1562

Editor: Here we have Joannes van Doetecum’s print, "View into the Courtyard of a Palace with a Rivergod in the Center of a Rectangular Pond". It looks like an etching. The detail is incredible! What strikes you about the work? Curator: Look at the labor involved in producing this image. The tools, the skill, the time! We see the meticulous process of etching allows for precise lines. How does the print medium affect its accessibility and circulation? Editor: So, you’re saying the printmaking process itself democratizes the image? Curator: Exactly! Multiple impressions allow for broader consumption and distribution of this vision of power and grandeur. What statement is being made about the patron's ability to produce and disseminate such views? Editor: I never thought about the social implications of printmaking like that before. Thanks!