Losse fragmenten van een prent van het oordeel van Paris 1580 - 1596

These loose fragments of a print depicting the Judgement of Paris were made by Zacharias Dolendo around the turn of the 17th century. Etched into a metal plate, presumably copper, they show the skill of the artist and the proliferation of printmaking at this time. The Judgment of Paris was a popular subject. These fragments offer a glimpse into the wider social context of the time. Printmaking enabled images and ideas to be disseminated far and wide across Europe. Printmakers like Dolendo relied upon the division of labor; each stage of the process, from preparing the plate, to inking and printing, required the touch of a skilled hand. These fragments, with their irregular shapes and faded ink, bear witness to the passage of time. Once part of a larger whole, these pieces remind us that the meaning of an artwork lies not only in its final form, but also in the materials, processes, and social conditions that brought it into being.