Pride (Superbia), from "The Seven Vices" 1536 - 1546

This engraving, "Pride," was made by Georg Pencz in the 16th century. Printed on a small sheet, the image shows a woman admiring herself in a mirror. The technique of engraving involves cutting lines into a metal plate with a tool called a burin. The plate is then inked, and the ink is wiped away from the surface, remaining only in the incised lines. When the plate is pressed against paper, the image is transferred. Look closely, and you can see how Pencz varied the density of the lines to create areas of light and shadow. The medium of engraving was closely tied to the rise of print culture and the spread of ideas. This allowed Pencz to circulate his artistic creations to a wider audience. Through the skilled labor involved in its creation, this small print serves as a reminder of the powerful role of craft in disseminating cultural values, and challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and popular imagery.