The Holy Family with infant Saint John the Baptist kneeling at right 1550 - 1600

This print, "The Holy Family with infant Saint John the Baptist," was made by an anonymous artist using the process of engraving. Look closely and you'll notice the image is created entirely from lines incised into a metal plate, probably copper. Ink would have been applied to the plate, then wiped from the surface, remaining only in the engraved lines. The printmaker then pressed paper against the plate to transfer the image. Engraving demanded immense skill. A design had to be built up line by line, relying on variation in their thickness and proximity to create tonal and textural effects. The technique was also bound up with commerce. Engravings like this one, after well-known paintings, could be sold in multiples, thereby spreading devotional imagery far and wide. Consider all the labor involved: the initial design, the cutting of the plate, the inking and printing. While we don't know the identity of the printmaker, we can appreciate their expertise and the wide circulation of their work. It’s a reminder that art history is also a history of making, and of the many hands that bring images into the world.