Maria met Kind en een heilige c. 1579 - 1615

This print, made by Dominicus Custos around the turn of the 17th century, depicts the Virgin and Child with a saint, and was made with the technique of engraving. The engraver uses a tool called a burin to manually carve lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. The physical properties of metal are key here. The hardness of the material allows for fine, precise lines that capture a high level of detail. The depth of the engraved lines influences the amount of ink held, creating tonal variation in the print. Engraving was a highly skilled craft, demanding years of training to master the control of the burin and the understanding of tonal values. Beyond its artistic function, printmaking like this played a crucial role in disseminating information and imagery across Europe at this time. The relative ease with which prints can be reproduced made them vital to early globalization. The labor-intensive process contrasts sharply with the later advent of mechanical reproduction, reminding us of the changing relationship between art, labor, and technology.