Sophonisba drinkt vergif 1819

Bartolomeo Pinelli made this print, "Sophonisba drinkt vergif," sometime in the early 19th century. It's made using etching, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. The linear quality of the etching, so evident here, allows for incredible detail. Notice the texture of the Roman soldier's armor, or the way the drapery falls on Sophonisba. Pinelli would have used a variety of tools to create these effects, including etching needles, scrapers, and burnishers. The process is labor-intensive. Each print would have taken hours to complete. Prints like this were often made in multiples, and sold to a growing middle class who wanted access to art but couldn't afford paintings. So this image gives us insight into the economic structures of the time, with the artist acting as a kind of manufacturer, producing images for mass consumption. Considering this context allows us to move beyond traditional aesthetic judgments and appreciate the print as a product of its time, shaped by both artistic skill and the demands of the market.