Martelaarschap van H. Petrus Martyr van Verona 1682

Valentin Lefebvre made this print of "Martyrdom of St. Peter Martyr of Verona," sometime between 1642 and 1682, using etching and engraving techniques. These processes are not as immediate as drawing or painting, but require planning, skill, and precision. An engraver uses a tool called a burin to directly incise lines into a metal plate. Etching, by contrast, involves covering the plate with a protective ground, drawing through it to expose the metal, and then bathing the plate in acid, which bites away the exposed lines. The linear quality of the image – the way the forms are built up from many thin strokes – speaks to this process. We can almost imagine Lefebvre at his workbench, meticulously working the plate. This kind of labor-intensive, reproductive printmaking was crucial for disseminating images before photography. It allowed for a wider audience to access and appreciate artwork. The very nature of these techniques invites us to consider the skill, craft, and labor involved in creating an image, and the historical context that valued such craftsmanship as a means of circulating knowledge.