Christ's Body Carried to the Tomb c. 1645

Editor: This is Rembrandt van Rijn's etching, "Christ's Body Carried to the Tomb." I'm struck by how raw the etched lines feel, especially given the somber subject. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Note how Rembrandt's use of etching, a process involving acid and metal plates, democratized image production. Consider too the social context: prints like these circulated widely, becoming commodities for a growing art market, impacting religious interpretation through mass consumption. What does this suggest to you? Editor: It really makes you think about who had access to the image and how that changed its meaning. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. The material process and its social reach redefined art's role in society.