Saint Jacques Le Majeur 1726

Etienne Brion created this print of Saint Jacques Le Majeur sometime in the 1700s, using the technique of engraving. Look closely at the image and you'll notice it's made up of thousands of tiny lines. These weren't drawn directly; instead, Brion would have used a tool called a burin to cut grooves into a copper plate. The plate was then inked, and the ink wiped away, remaining only in the incised lines. When paper was pressed against the plate, the image transferred, resulting in the print we see here. This was a highly skilled process, demanding years of training. Printmaking in this period was essential for disseminating images, acting as a kind of early mass media. Prints like these could spread religious ideas, but also the fame and reputation of the artist who designed them. So, while this image depicts a saint, it's also an artifact of a sophisticated, laborious, and increasingly widespread mode of production.