Adoration of the Kings 1670

Editor: Here we have Melchior Küsel's "Adoration of the Kings", an intricate print housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It has this amazing ruined architectural setting. What stands out to you about the materials and their use? Curator: Consider the labor involved in etching this level of detail onto a metal plate. The consumption of prints like these served to disseminate religious iconography, almost as a form of mass production. How might the availability of such images have influenced religious practice or even social hierarchies at the time? Editor: That's fascinating! So the act of making and distributing the print is as important as the image itself. It really changes how I see it. Curator: Precisely. By understanding the means of production, we can unpack broader implications regarding its function and reception within society.