The Holy Family with Saint Anne and the young Saint John the Baptist 1570 - 1615

Cherubino Alberti created this engraving, *The Holy Family with Saint Anne and the young Saint John the Baptist*, using a printmaking process that was relatively new in the late 16th century. Engraving on copper relies on the burin, a specialized cutting tool, to directly incise lines into the metal. This is a very different way of image-making than drawing, where you add graphite to paper. Here, you subtract material to create the design. The depth and spacing of the lines determine how much ink they hold, and thus the tonal range of the final print. It is fascinating to think of Alberti, trained as a painter, turning to this relatively new process, in which the hand has to act with resolute force. Copperplate engraving allowed for the relatively easy reproduction of images, satisfying the growing demand for art among a wider public. The medium itself became an agent of democratization.