Venantius Fortunatus leest zijn gedichten voor aan Radegonda VI 1846 - 1880

This print, “Venantius Fortunatus Reads his Poems to Radegonda VI,” was made by Louis Lucas in the late nineteenth century. We can appreciate it today as a remarkably skillful piece of engraving, a process that requires laborious cutting into a metal plate. Looking closely, you can see the crisp, delicate lines made by the artist’s burin, used to create contrasting textures, from the robes of the figures to the patterned floor. Notice the artist's ability to convey depth and light. This process demands not just technical precision but a deep understanding of the materials, and the visual effect that can be achieved with them. Engraving was, by the late 1800s, something of a dying art, superseded by newer industrial printing methods. This makes Lucas’s work a powerful statement, reminding us of the value of practiced skill in the face of mechanized culture. By engaging with centuries-old traditions, Lucas elevates the status of the crafts, asserting their rightful place alongside the fine arts.