Giovane antico 1598

This is an engraving titled Giovane antico, by Christoph Krieger. It’s made by cutting lines into a metal plate, inking it, and pressing it onto paper. Engraving is an indirect process. Unlike drawing directly, the artist pushes the metal with tools. See the even, uniform lines? These are made through intense, repetitive labor. The effect is decorative, even courtly. Note the pattern on the man's skirt, the frame around the image, and his fancy doublet with puffed shoulders. The printmaking process was very significant socially. It democratized images. This one would have been relatively cheap to produce, and to buy. Yet there's also a sense of luxury here; perhaps the image flattered those aspiring to rise in the world. Engravings like this occupy a space between high art and something more accessible. Paying attention to its making helps us to see this.