Ongelijke liefde 1602

This print, "Unequal Love," was made by an anonymous artist using the intaglio process of engraving, sometime in the early modern period. The technique involves incising lines into a metal plate, inking the surface, and then wiping it clean, so that the ink remains only in the recesses. The plate is then pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Look closely, and you will notice the artist has used careful hatching to create the tonal effects that describe the figures and architectural setting. The contrast between the dark lines and the white paper gives the print its characteristic crispness. Engraving like this requires considerable skill and time. Prints like this one circulated widely, spreading ideas and styles across Europe. "Unequal Love" comments on issues of wealth, class and power, reminding us that materials and making are always embedded in social and cultural contexts. Examining its technical qualities alongside the subject matter it portrays encourages us to look past traditional distinctions between craft and fine art.