The Pietà under the Cross of Golgotha 1547

Editor: This is Giulio Bonasone's "The Pietà under the Cross of Golgotha." It's a print, and the starkness of the etching creates such a solemn mood. What do you see in this piece, especially considering Bonasone’s process? Curator: The emphasis on the material reality of the printmaking process allows for a focus on the circulation and consumption of religious imagery in 16th-century Europe. How did the reproductive nature of prints democratize access to these themes? Editor: So, it's less about the emotional impact and more about how it was made and distributed? Curator: Precisely. Consider also the economic dimensions of printmaking – the labor involved, the market for such images, and its impact on artistic patronage. Editor: That's a completely different way of looking at it than I initially considered. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, examining the material conditions gives us insights beyond the purely aesthetic or religious.