Vulcanus 1631 - 1705

Giuseppe Diamantini made this print of Vulcanus, the Roman god of fire, sometime in the 17th century. The method was etching, a printmaking technique that allows for expressive line work. To make an etching, you coat a metal plate with a waxy ground, then draw through it with a needle to expose the metal. The plate is then submerged in acid, which bites into the exposed lines. Ink is applied, the surface wiped clean, and the image is transferred to paper under high pressure. Look closely, and you’ll see the qualities that makes etching unique. Unlike engraving, another intaglio process which requires immense force to incise lines with a burin, etching allows for a more direct and spontaneous mark. Diamantini has taken full advantage, creating a flurry of lines to define the figures. Vulcanus, surrounded by putti and assistants, is caught in a moment of divine labor. By understanding the material processes, we see how the artist translated the forceful work of a blacksmith into the delicate art of printmaking. In doing so, he elevates craft to the realm of fine art.