Kreuzigung des Heiligen Andreas c. 1480 - 1490

Martin Schongauer made this engraving, *Kreuzigung des Heiligen Andreas*, from around 1480, using a metal plate, likely copper, and a tool called a burin. The image emerges from the precise, controlled cuts made into the metal. Look closely, and you’ll see how Schongauer used hatching and cross-hatching to create tone and volume, a testament to his mastery of the engraving technique. The lines are not just descriptive, they define the emotional impact, intensifying the drama of Saint Andrew’s crucifixion. Engraving was a painstaking, labor-intensive process, requiring both technical skill and artistic vision, with the engraver working as both designer and maker. This print, and others like it, existed in relation to the rise of a print market, which provided devotional images for an expanding audience, and it offered artists like Schongauer a way to disseminate their designs widely. Considering the intricate work involved and its social context, this print challenges our assumptions about the hierarchy of art, raising the status of craft to the level of fine art.