Neue Künstliche Figuren Biblischer Historien by Tobias Stimmer

Neue Künstliche Figuren Biblischer Historien 1576

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Artwork details

Medium
drawing, print, engraving
Dimensions
Overall: 8 1/4 x 6 1/8 x 9/16 in. (20.9 x 15.5 x 1.5 cm)
Location
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Copyright
Public Domain

Tags

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drawing

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narrative-art

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pen drawing

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print

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book

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history-painting

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engraving

About this artwork

This is a page from ‘Neue Künstliche Figuren Biblischer Historien,’ or New Artificial Figures of Biblical Histories, made by Tobias Stimmer around 1570. It's an engraving, meaning that the image was incised into a metal plate, likely copper, and printed in ink. Engravings like this were essentially mass-produced images, carefully planned out and executed by skilled artisans. Look closely, and you can see the labor that went into the work, in every tiny line. It is a translation of the biblical story of Joseph into a visual format and therefore a commodity, for consumption by a wide audience. The sharp lines create a stark contrast. The heaviness of the lines also creates depth and shadow, adding a dramatic quality to the scene. This print bridges the gap between fine art and craft, demonstrating the power of reproducible images in shaping cultural narratives during the Reformation.

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