The Angel Telling Joseph to Flee and the Flight into Egypt 1585

Editor: This engraving, "The Angel Telling Joseph to Flee and the Flight into Egypt" by Adriaen Collaert, presents a detailed scene. It's striking how Collaert uses line work to create texture and depth, almost like a tapestry. What can you tell us about the context of its production? Curator: Notice the labor involved in the engraving process itself, the repetitive cutting into the metal plate. How does the accessibility of prints like these alter the consumption and understanding of religious narratives, differing from unique painted altarpieces? Editor: It's interesting to consider this as a reproducible object rather than a singular masterpiece. Would people have seen it as functional or decorative? Curator: Possibly both. Consider the material value. Was the paper costly? How would its display and ownership reflect the social standing of its owner and their relationship to religious instruction? Editor: So, its meaning lies not just in the image, but in its production and circulation. Curator: Precisely. The print is both an artwork and a material object embedded in a network of production, distribution, and consumption.