Banket in het huis van Tarquinius 1578 - 1580

This engraving, "Banket in het huis van Tarquinius," was created by Hendrick Goltzius around 1600. The printmaking process itself is key to understanding this artwork. Notice the crisp lines and the intricate details achieved through the technique of engraving. Engraving, unlike painting, allowed for the mass production of images, making art more accessible to a wider audience. This was a significant shift, moving away from unique, hand-painted artworks towards reproducible images. The meticulous labor involved in creating the matrix of the engraving directly reflects the commercial demands of the print market. Consider the social context too. Here, Goltzius depicts the banquet in the house of Tarquinius; and this is not a scene of leisure, but one of careful social and economic negotiation. By focusing on materials, making, and context, we can see how this engraving not only tells a story but also reflects the changing dynamics of art production and consumption in Goltzius’s time.