Monnik van de orde der Schaarheren after 1526

This print, “Monnik van de orde der Schaarheren,” was made by an anonymous artist using etching. Look closely, and you'll notice the fineness of the lines, produced by acid biting into a metal plate. The artist has used this technique to describe the figure of a monk, complete with a book and a distinctive badge showing a pair of scissors. It’s this emblem that gives the game away. This is no ordinary cleric, but a member of a lay order that lent money, and their scissors were used for the cutting of cloth. The print served as a kind of advertisement, a calling card. The etcher would have relied on specialist skills, from the preparation of the metal plate, to the controlled application of acid, and finally the inking and printing. These processes allowed for multiples to be produced, extending the reach of this religious order and its surprisingly commercial activity. This little print is not just a picture, it is a functional object embedded in the economic life of its time.