Opstanding 1582 - 1671

Curator: Here we have an engraving entitled "Opstanding," or "Resurrection" attributed to Heinrich Ulrich, though the dates associated with its production range quite broadly, from 1582 to 1671. Editor: It strikes me as theatrical, almost operatic. The dynamism conveyed through line work, the contrasts… are they successful given the limitations inherent in engraving? Curator: That contrast, of course, comes down to Ulrich’s manipulation of the engraved line itself. Note how the density and direction of the lines describe form and texture, moving from the luminosity radiating from Christ to the chaotic struggle of the soldiers below. Editor: Right, look at the textures and musculature achieved despite the rigidity one associates with this method. But beyond technical skill, this medium inevitably connects to social conditions of production—consider access to tools, the status of printmaking as reproduction rather than original creation… how might that framing have influenced Ulrich? Curator: An excellent point! We see clear influences from the Northern Renaissance style, particularly in the detailed figuration and the expressive intensity. Consider the contrapposto of Christ’s pose against the raw fear etched on the faces of the Roman soldiers—it becomes a narrative not only of resurrection but of profound spiritual and earthly disruption. Editor: Ulrich harnesses what was essentially a commercial printing technique to render religious history, yet with tremendous flair. We get detailed armour alongside heavenly glory— a real testament to print’s capacity for nuanced narratives at scale. How subversive was it for Ulrich to claim the themes for himself? Curator: That's precisely the tension that makes it compelling. The print, a multiple by definition, paradoxically creates a unique encounter each time, urging a meditation on both faith and the material world from which such objects arise. Editor: Ultimately, I find it speaks volumes about the intertwined nature of the physical and spiritual during this period—an interplay deftly communicated by the lines upon the page.