Christus aan het kruis 1645 - 1668

Adriaen Millaert made this print, Christus aan het kruis, using engraving, a process that demands meticulous skill. The stark contrast between light and shadow is achieved by carefully incising lines into a metal plate, holding ink which is then transferred to paper. Millaert would have used tools like burins and scrapers to create the detailed image we see here. Look closely and you can see the texture and tone in the clouds. The physicality of engraving—the labor of cutting into metal—mirrors the pain and suffering of the crucifixion. In contrast to traditional painting, which often conceals its making, the graphic nature of the engraving, with its emphasis on line and form, directly reveals the artist's hand. This directness, this expression of labor, invites us to consider the wider social context of art production at the time and to reflect on the skilled work involved in bringing such images to life.