St. Bernard Receives a Monk's Habit 1600 - 1688

Claude Mellan created this print, "St. Bernard Receives a Monk's Habit," using the engraving process. Essentially, he used a tool called a burin to cut lines directly into a copper plate, with the depth and spacing of the lines determining the visual weight and shading. What's fascinating here is how Mellan achieves such a detailed image with this relatively simple process. Look at the folds of the monks' robes, the texture of the landscape, even the subtle gradations of light. The lines create these effects, each one a result of the artist's deliberate action. Consider the sheer labor involved in producing this image, each line carefully etched. In its time, a print like this would have been relatively accessible, a means of disseminating religious imagery and artistic skill to a broader audience. It's a beautiful demonstration of how a meticulous process can yield an image of great complexity, laden with both artistic and social value.