The resurrection of Christ, holding a banner in his right hand, soldiers surrounding the tomb, some falling away 1561

Editor: Here we have Giulio Bonasone’s engraving, “The Resurrection of Christ,” from 1561. The chaotic energy is palpable—you can feel the dynamism from Christ’s rising to the soldiers being knocked aside. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It’s an excellent example of Renaissance engraving, emphasizing not just the religious narrative but also the material conditions that allow for its widespread dissemination. Consider the labor involved in producing the copper plate, the specialized skills required for engraving, and the network of distribution necessary to bring this image to a broader audience. It transforms a unique artistic creation into a mass-producible commodity. Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn't considered the sheer amount of work that went into producing this print and the systems it relied upon. Does the medium change our perception of the work itself? Curator: Absolutely. Engraving lends itself to detailed line work, evident in the textures of the fabrics and musculature. It also challenges the traditional hierarchy, where painting was considered superior. Prints like these made art accessible, allowing even those with limited means to engage with religious iconography and artistic innovation. Note also, the Roman armor of the soldiers. Bonasone, here, creates another commodity to the upper class: Roman antiquity itself. Editor: So, it's less about individual artistic genius and more about skilled craftsmanship and the broader economic structures that supported artistic production? Curator: Precisely. While Bonasone's artistic skill is undeniable, a materialist perspective shifts the focus to the social context: the skilled engravers and the booming economy of art prints, including copies, variants and forgeries, rather than idealizing a genius. The "art market" as a system of object exchange has long been a driving influence on European art history, arguably since its inception in antiquity. Editor: I never thought about it that way before. Thank you! Curator: It has been a pleasure. Analyzing a work in terms of material reality gives us a different framework and offers richer understanding of it.