Visitatie Possibly 1592 - 1777

Jacob Matham made this print, Visitatie, around the turn of the 17th century. It’s made with an engraving technique, meaning that the design was incised into a metal plate, likely copper, with a tool called a burin. Look closely, and you'll notice the figures are built up from very fine lines and cross-hatching. These are the marks of the engraver’s hand, made one careful stroke at a time. This was a highly skilled, labor-intensive process, requiring years of training to master. The resulting print could then be reproduced many times over, allowing Matham's image to circulate widely. Prints like this played a vital role in disseminating visual ideas, and the labor that went into their creation speaks to a culture that valued both artistic skill and widespread distribution of knowledge. While the image depicts a biblical scene, the making of the print itself reflects the burgeoning world of early modern commerce and communication.