Vierkante cartouche met een citaat van Seneca 1557

This print, made by Frans Huys sometime in the mid-16th century, is a fine example of the engraver's art. With skillful use of a burin, a hardened steel tool, Huys incised lines into a copper plate. The plate would then be inked, and the image transferred to paper. Note how the crispness of the engraved line lends itself to the graphic design of the cartouche. The shapes are bold and clear, and the image would have been easily legible, even at a distance. The production of prints like this was crucial to the spread of knowledge and visual culture in the early modern period. Engravers were highly skilled artisans, and their work allowed for the mass production of images, making art and information accessible to a wider audience. In this particular case, the Latin quote by Seneca would have been available for consumption to anyone literate in the language. The image is, in effect, a miniature engine of the Renaissance.