Christ Among the Doctors Possibly 1503 - 1511

Albrecht Dürer created this image, "Christ Among the Doctors," using the precise and laborious technique of engraving. The density of line, the complex layering of darks and lights – all this was achieved by carefully incising a metal plate, likely copper, with a tool called a burin. Look closely and you can see the swelling and tapering of these engraved lines, and get a sense of the tremendous skill required to control the tool, and realize the composition. The resulting print could then be multiplied, circulating Dürer's artistry widely. In its time, printmaking was a relatively new technology, and as such it was closely linked to the rise of a merchantile economy. Dürer was among the first to grasp the potential of this medium, and "Christ Among the Doctors" is a testament to both his technical virtuosity, and his understanding of its possibilities. Through an understanding of material and making, we see how a traditional subject gains new resonance in the context of its production, challenging our notions of artistic innovation and religious devotion.