Twee landschappen met de engelen op weg naar Sodom c. 1589 - 1595

Around 1588, Julius Goltzius created this print, "Two Landscapes with the Angels on the Way to Sodom," using the intaglio process of engraving. In this technique, the artist uses a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a copper plate. The depth and spacing of these lines dictate the amount of ink held, and therefore the darkness of the printed mark. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the incised lines. Pressed against paper, the image transfers, resulting in the fine, detailed composition we see here. The engraving process, while painstaking, allowed for the mass production of images, fueling the spread of visual ideas during the Reformation. Consider the skill and time involved in creating such intricate details, and how this labor connects to the broader economic and social shifts of the time. This print beautifully demonstrates how craft, technology, and artistic vision intersect, challenging our notions of what constitutes art.