Susanna baadt zich en wordt bedreigd door twee oudsten 1598

This print, "Susanna baadt zich en wordt bedreigd door twee oudsten," was made by Johan Barra sometime in the early 17th century. It's an engraving, meaning that the image was incised into a metal plate, inked, and then pressed onto paper. Printmaking was a burgeoning industry at this time, which relied on the skilled labor of artisans to produce images for mass consumption. Here, we see an example of the kind of image that was popular: an eroticized biblical scene. This was a lucrative niche, where artists and publishers could cater to the desires of a growing urban audience. The stark black and white contrast is a direct result of the medium. The engraver had to carefully control the depth and thickness of each line to create a range of tones and textures, from the delicate folds of Susanna's dress to the menacing shadows cast by the elders. What is intriguing is that prints like this were relatively affordable and available to a broad audience, contributing to the democratization of art. The social context of production is therefore essential to understanding its meaning.