Saint Christopher on Horseback c. 1490

Master IAM of Zwolle created this print of Saint Christopher in the late fifteenth century, using the technique of engraving. Look closely, and you’ll notice how the image is built up from a dense network of lines, each one painstakingly incised into a copper plate. Ink was then applied to the plate and wiped off the surface, remaining only in the etched lines, before being printed onto paper. Engraving was the original information technology. It allowed for the mass production of images, and, like any form of production, it involved labor: the skilled hands of the artist, the production of paper, and the distribution of the prints. This technology played a crucial role in spreading religious ideas during the Reformation. The figure of Saint Christopher, a symbol of protection for travelers, takes on added significance when you consider the print’s function. The image itself becomes a portable object, capable of being circulated and collected and granting protection to an expanding audience. This print reminds us that art is intertwined with production, labor, and social context.