Zieken worden genezen door de zweetdoeken van apostel Paulus 1697

This print, by an anonymous artist, shows the sick being healed by Apostle Paul's sweat cloths. It’s a reproduction, made with the technique of engraving. Engraving is an incisive process, which involves cutting lines directly into a metal plate, in this case most likely copper. The plate is then inked and the surface wiped clean, so that the ink remains only in the engraved lines. It's put through a high-pressure printing press, and the image is transferred to the paper. The clarity of the line is what distinguishes engraving, allowing for great detail. What’s interesting is that the engraver never directly represents the healing itself. It’s only suggested through the poses of the supplicants, as they reach for the miraculous cloths. It would have required great skill to render the image we see here. The engraver’s labor is key to disseminating the story far and wide, connecting it to a history of craft and fine art. The very act of making, in multiples, becomes part of the miracle.