Constantine Presenting the City of Rome to the Holy See, at right, many spectators throughout, a child playing with a dog in the foreground 1525 - 1566

Battista Franco made this print, Constantine Presenting the City of Rome to the Holy See, in the mid-16th century. It’s made from ink on paper, using the technique of engraving. The image is achieved by cutting lines into a metal plate, applying ink, and then transferring that ink to paper under high pressure. Looking closely, you can see that the image is built up from a dense network of finely-wrought lines. The crispness of the marks gives the whole scene a sense of clarity, despite the image's complexity. Printmaking in this period was integral to the development of mass media and the dissemination of ideas. Unlike painting or sculpture, prints could be reproduced many times over, making them accessible to a broader audience. This print, therefore, is not only a work of art but also a cultural artifact. It reflects the social, religious, and political forces at play in Renaissance Italy, all captured through the skilled manipulation of line and ink. When we consider all this, we realize that even the humblest materials can be a powerful means of expression and communication.