Vangst van een wonderlijke zeeman in het Skagerrak, 1621 1621

This print, 'Vangst van een wonderlijke zeeman in het Skagerrak,' or 'Capture of a Wondrous Seaman in the Skagerrak,' was made in 1621 by an anonymous artist. It’s an engraving, which means the image was incised into a metal plate, likely copper, with a tool called a burin, then inked and printed. The medium of print is crucial here. This wasn't a unique artwork, but a relatively inexpensive, reproducible image. Notice the lines, which define every aspect of the scene, from the waves to the 'wild man' himself. The engraver would have had to be highly skilled to achieve this level of detail, capable of translating the image into a precise network of lines and marks. The print’s medium gives clues to its social context. Sold as a news broadsheet, this imagery was part of the burgeoning culture of information and visual media in the early 17th century, a time of maritime exploration and trade. So, while it depicts the capture of a mysterious figure, it's also a product of the very forces that were transforming the world at that time.