Eurydice naked standing on a rock, her arms raised to the right 1510 - 1532

Marco Dente created this engraving of Eurydice sometime in the early 16th century. The image is made through the meticulous labor of carving lines into a metal plate, which then would have been inked and pressed onto paper. In this print, Dente used the incisive qualities of the engraved line to model Eurydice’s body, and the rock she’s climbing. Look closely, and you’ll see the lines are more densely packed in areas of shadow, creating a sense of three-dimensionality. The process of engraving demands a high level of skill and control. Dente, as a printmaker, was part of a rapidly expanding visual culture. Prints could be reproduced and disseminated widely, playing a crucial role in spreading artistic ideas and imagery across Europe. The labor-intensive process of engraving became a vehicle for cultural exchange, democratizing access to art. This reminds us that the value and meaning of an artwork reside not only in its subject matter, but also in the skilled work and social context that brought it into being.