Heilige Dominicus Loricatus 1590 - 1612

This print of Saint Dominic Loricatus was made by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert. The method used was engraving, a meticulous process of incising lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. Look closely and you’ll see that the image is constructed entirely from precise marks, built up to create tone and shadow. This painstaking technique demanded considerable skill and patience, values that resonate with the saint’s own commitment to self-discipline. The material quality of the print also speaks to its wider social context. Prints like this one were relatively accessible, making religious imagery available to a broad audience. But don’t be fooled by their apparent simplicity. These prints are the products of a highly specialized form of craft labor, and in their own way, as materially rich as any painting or sculpture.