Dienstbaarheid 1533 - 1567

This small print, Dienstbaarheid, was made by Enea Vico sometime in the 16th century, using the intaglio process of engraving. In this technique, the artist would have used a sharp tool, called a burin, to manually carve lines into a copper plate. The incised lines hold ink, and when pressed onto paper, they create the image. Look closely, and you can see the texture created by these lines, especially in the sky and the figure’s drapery. The very act of engraving is labor-intensive, and because of the skills and time required to create the copper plate, prints like these were quite valuable. In this image, Vico is making a statement about freedom and enslavement. The Latin inscription on the print reads: "Make not those who are free worthy to bear chains.” By understanding the labor and skill involved in the printmaking process, we can appreciate the subtle layers of meaning embedded in this artwork, and how it speaks to social issues far beyond the realm of aesthetics.