Ecce Homo c. 17th century

Editor: This is Jonas Umbach's "Ecce Homo." The etching looks incredibly detailed for its size, especially the rendering of the fabrics and skin. What strikes you about the means of production here? Curator: Consider the economic and social context of printmaking in Umbach's time. The labor involved in creating the plate, the availability of materials, and the intended audience—how do these shape our understanding of the image and its function as a reproducible commodity? Editor: So, it’s not just about the image, but also about who could afford it and how it was circulated? Curator: Precisely! The materiality of the print, its accessibility, these factors democratize religious imagery in a way painting couldn't. Did Umbach intend this as a devotional tool? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about regarding the print's place in society. Curator: Indeed. It’s about art not as isolated object, but as a product of its time.