Borstbeeld van een jonge vrouw 1518

Sebald Beham made this tiny print of a young woman in 1518 using the intaglio process of engraving. Here, the artist would have used a tool called a burin to cut lines directly into a copper plate. The plate would then be inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. Finally, it would be pressed onto a sheet of paper, resulting in a print. The linear quality we see in the image – the way the figure is built up from many fine strokes – is a direct result of this process. Note how the density and direction of the lines create areas of light and shadow, giving volume to the woman’s face and dress. Engraving demanded considerable skill and time, positioning the print as a valuable commodity in its day. Yet, because prints could be reproduced many times, they also had the potential to reach a much wider audience than paintings or sculptures. So, we can appreciate this work not just for its delicate execution, but also for its place in the history of democratizing art.