Paneel met bladranken en draak 1623

This ‘Panel with Foliage and Dragon’ was made by Johan Barra around 1600, using the technique of engraving. Here, the material itself – a thin sheet of metal, likely copper – is crucial. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually cut lines into the surface. This painstaking process demands precision, skill, and time. The stark contrast between line and background gives the image its distinctive quality. The dragon and foliage are rendered with incredible detail. Look at the way Barra uses cross-hatching to create shading and volume. This was a print intended for circulation, to be consumed. Engravings like this weren't just beautiful objects; they played a vital role in disseminating design ideas. Jewelers, armorers, and other artisans would have used prints like this as inspiration for their own work. By understanding the labor and skill involved in its production, we can see this small print as a testament to the ingenuity and interconnectedness of early modern craft.