The Fifth Wise Virgin n.d.

Martin Schongauer made this print, The Fifth Wise Virgin, using the intaglio technique. Intaglio is where the image is incised into a surface, and this plate would have been copper. Schongauer would have used a tool called a burin to cut the lines into the metal. The ink is then applied to the entire plate and then wiped away from the surface, leaving ink only in the incised lines. The print is then made by pressing paper against the plate with considerable force. Look closely and you can see how the lines create the texture and the shading, and how the density of the lines gives the image weight and form. The process would have required great skill and precision. The print is not just an image; it's an object that embodies labor, skill, and a deep understanding of materials. This moves the work beyond just a picture, and into a conversation about the values we place on different kinds of making.