Gekroonde Maria met het Christuskind op de maansikkel 1595

This print of the crowned Virgin Mary with the Christ child on the crescent moon was made in 1595 by Johann Sadeler I, using engraving. It is an intaglio printmaking technique, in which an image is incised into a metal plate, and the cut lines retain the ink. What's fascinating here is the labor-intensive process. Each line you see was physically carved into the copper. The density of these lines creates tone and shadow, building up the forms of Mary and the Christ child, and also the texture of the clouds beneath her feet. Look closely, and you can see the way Sadeler has varied the weight and direction of the lines to describe the folds of Mary's robe. The inscription at the bottom translates as "Joan Sadeler made and published it," reminding us of the artist's role as both creator and entrepreneur. Prints like this were luxury goods, and Sadeler was clearly invested in demonstrating his skill and control of the medium. The intense detail and meticulous execution of the engraving underscores the value placed on skilled handwork in the early modern period. It's a reminder that even seemingly mass-produced images required a great deal of individual labor.