The Virgin kneeling in prayer before the infant Christ who is lying on a wooden box, Saint Joseph at left, a mule at right, in an oval frame, after Reni 1675 - 1738

This engraving, after a painting by Guido Reni, shows the Holy Family in quiet contemplation. It was made by an anonymous printmaker, who skillfully used line to translate paint to a reproducible image. Look closely, and you can see how the varying thickness and density of etched lines create areas of light and shadow. This would have been a labor-intensive process, requiring careful planning and precise execution. The matrix would have been a copper plate. The engraver would have used a tool called a burin to cut lines into the surface, which would then hold ink for printing. While this print reproduces a composition by a celebrated artist, it also speaks to a different kind of artistic production. Printmaking was a vital industry, allowing for the wide dissemination of images and ideas. It depended on skilled artisans, whose work often went uncredited, yet who played a crucial role in shaping visual culture. Considering this print, we can broaden our understanding of artistic creation to include the skilled labor of reproduction, and the social context in which images circulate.