Waarheid 1533 - 1567

Enea Vico made this engraving, "Waarheid," which translates to "Truth," sometime in the mid-16th century. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning that the image is incised into a surface – usually a metal plate – and then filled with ink for printing. This particular print would have been made by using a tool called a burin to carve lines into a copper plate. Notice the remarkable intricacy achieved by Vico. The scenes and figures feel very sculptural, which is interesting, because engraving is essentially a linear medium. The amount of work involved in such a print should not be underestimated. It would have required intense concentration, immense skill, and remarkable patience to bring such detail to life. The print is not just an image, but a record of labor, linking Vico’s individual effort to the wider world of 16th-century craft production. This attention to the means of production can allow us to reflect on the nature of truth itself, and on the way in which the cultural meaning is intricately constructed.