Mercury Turning Aglauros to Stone (Aglauros a Mercurio in lapidem transformatur), from The Metamorphoses of Ovid (Metamorphosean Sive Transformationum), plate 20

Antonio Tempesta created this print, "Mercury Turning Aglauros to Stone," using etching, a printmaking technique that democratized image production. The stark, linear quality comes from the etching process. Tempesta would have coated a copper plate with wax, then scratched his design into it with a needle. When dipped in acid, the exposed lines would bite into the metal. The deeper the bite, the darker the line when inked and printed. This method allowed for multiple, identical images, making art more accessible. In this particular example, we are witness to the tale from Ovid's Metamorphoses of Mercury turning Aglauros into stone. These prints weren't just aesthetic objects; they were tools of communication and commerce, spreading stories and ideas far and wide. The labor is evident not only in the artist's hand but also in the industrial processes that enabled its distribution.