Opstanding 1512

Albrecht Durer created this print, Opstanding, using the method of engraving. The linear precision that you see here is the result of Durer’s expert handling of the burin, a hardened steel tool used to carve lines directly into a metal plate, most likely copper. Think of it as a miniature plough, pushed through the metal rather than drawn across it. The plate would then have been inked and printed. What’s so special about engraving is that it allowed for a high degree of detail, and the creation of reproducible images. This was vital in the 16th century, when printmaking fueled the spread of ideas. Durer's virtuosity elevated printmaking, previously considered a craft, to the level of high art, creating a complex interplay between craft, artistry, and the burgeoning industry of image dissemination. The lines of the engraving carry not just the image, but the very pulse of a changing world.