Ixion 1588

Hendrick Goltzius made this engraving, Ixion, sometime around the turn of the 17th century. The medium itself is critical to understanding the image. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning that the image is incised into a metal plate, usually copper. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to physically carve lines into the surface. This is painstaking, skilled work. The plate is then inked, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the carved lines. When paper is pressed against the plate, the image is transferred. Look closely, and you can see how Goltzius used the swelling and tapering of the engraved lines to create a sense of volume and drama, particularly in the figure of Ixion himself. This printmaking technique was at the cutting edge of reproductive technology at the time. It allowed for the wide distribution of images, and thus ideas. In this case, the story of Ixion, who was punished for his hubris, is vividly brought to life through the engraver's labor. Ultimately, considering both the image and how it was made gives us a fuller understanding of its cultural significance.