Matigheid (Temperantia) 1585 - 1589

Jacob Matham made this print, "Temperantia," around the turn of the 17th century, using the exacting method of engraving. With a tool called a burin, Matham would have slowly and carefully cut lines into a copper plate, building up the image bit by bit, like a highly detailed drawing in metal. Look closely at the figure. She’s shown performing a controlled action, pouring liquid from one vessel into another. The fine lines of the engraving allow for incredibly subtle gradations of tone, giving her skin a smooth, almost porcelain-like quality, while also capturing the folds and textures of her drapery. You can also see how the linear process lends a certain graphic clarity to the image. Engraving at this time was not just about artistic expression. It was a reproductive technology. Prints like this were a way of disseminating images widely, catering to a growing market for art among the merchant classes. The skills involved were highly specialized, requiring years of training, and were tied to broader economic and social shifts. Matham’s virtuosity reminds us that "craft" always has a context, far beyond any simple definition of art.