Antinoüs 1768 - 1817

This is a print of Antinoüs by Johann Heinrich Lips. Lips was a Swiss printmaker active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, working with the relatively accessible medium of etching and engraving. Printmaking was a key technology in the age of Enlightenment. Unlike painting or sculpture, prints could be widely disseminated, enabling the rapid spread of ideas. In this case, the idea is one of ideal beauty, as represented by Antinoüs, the Roman Emperor Hadrian’s presumed lover, who after his death became an icon of male perfection. Look closely, and you can see how Lips has used his burin to create a subtle range of tones and textures, from the smooth skin of Antinoüs’ face and neck to the dense thicket of his hair. Prints like these were relatively inexpensive, and helped to democratize visual culture, taking it out of the hands of the elite. They show how, with skill and dedication, it’s possible to achieve great artistic effect, even without costly materials. The skilled labor of the printmaker, like that of other craftspeople, deserves our attention as much as the image being represented.