Hercules Carries Off Iole c. 16th century

Editor: This is Sebald Beham's "Hercules Carries Off Iole," made around 1544. It's incredibly detailed for such a small print. All that labor! What strikes you about this piece? Curator: The engraving process itself is key. Beham's skill in manipulating the burin to create these lines dictated the final image and also speaks to the economics of printmaking during the Renaissance. Editor: How so? Curator: Printmaking allowed for wider distribution of images. Consider the demand for classical stories and how Beham, through his craft, helped shape and meet it. How does thinking about its production change your interpretation? Editor: I see it less as just a story, and more about how stories were manufactured and consumed. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Thinking materially gives us a better grasp of artistic creation.