Saint Paul Shipwrecked on the Island of Malta 1634

Willem Basse made this print, Saint Paul Shipwrecked on the Island of Malta, using etching, a printmaking technique that depends on acid to bite lines into a metal plate. The character of those lines is crucial here. See how they swarm and cluster to describe form, shadow, and texture—the roiling sea, the crumbling masonry of the fortress on the hill, the bodies washed ashore. The artist would have applied an acid-resistant ground to the plate, then scratched through it with a sharp needle to expose the metal. The plate was then immersed in acid, which ate away at the exposed lines. This method allows for a great deal of detail and control, but also requires careful planning and skilled execution. The result here is a dramatic scene, made all the more compelling by the delicate labor involved in its production. It is a reminder that even the most dramatic images are the result of careful, considered making.