Astronomie (Astronomia) 1510 - 1550

Sebald Beham made this engraving, Astronomie, in the 16th century. A print like this, made from a metal plate, was a relatively new technology at the time. Its lines are a direct record of labor. Look closely and you can see how the artist used a tool called a burin to manually carve lines into the copper. The density of the lines creates shadow and volume, and describes a winged figure of Astronomy surrounded by various tools. These are arranged on shelves and tables, each carefully delineated with that precise, repetitive mark-making. Prints like this were part of the new machinery of knowledge in the Renaissance. Inexpensive and portable, they allowed images and information to circulate widely. This print bears witness to both the skilled hand of the artist and the dawn of a new kind of information economy. It makes you wonder how these kinds of advances affect not only the dissemination of ideas, but also artistic practices and the status of labor.