De boetvaardige Maria Magdalena before 1600

Bartholomeus Willemsz. Dolendo created this engraving on paper depicting the Penitent Mary Magdalene. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning the image is incised into a surface, here a metal plate, and then filled with ink. The matrix is then pressed against paper. Notice the thousands of tiny cuts, bundled together to create tone and shadow. The lines are sharp and precise, a testament to the engraver’s skill with the burin, the tool used to cut the lines. Consider the labor involved in creating such a detailed image. The engraver needed not only technical expertise, but also patience and dedication. In its time, printmaking was a vital industry, and the skilled artisans who made them held a vital place in the chain of production. Looking at this print through the lens of craft and making, we can begin to appreciate the immense skill involved in its creation, and the often overlooked labor that goes into art production.