De verheerlijking van Maria 1507 - 1508

Editor: Here we have “The Glorification of Mary,” an engraving from 1507 or 1508. It's incredibly detailed. What strikes me is the artist’s mastery of line to create texture and depth. What do you make of the work, especially given the medium? Curator: As a materialist, I am immediately drawn to the socio-economic implications of the engraving process itself. Consider the labour invested, from the initial design to the skilled craftsmanship required to transfer that design onto the metal plate and then, of course, the printing process. It’s not just about artistic skill but access to workshops, tools, and patronage systems. Who commissioned this work, and how does its status as a print affect its distribution and reception? Was it a means to disseminate religious ideas to a wider, potentially less wealthy audience than, say, an oil painting? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the socio-economic aspect of printmaking itself. I was so focused on the image that I didn't think of the means of production and how that impacted distribution. Curator: The materiality of the engraving invites a re-evaluation of what is considered ‘high art’ at the time. The lines and the texture, what kind of burin would have been needed for such a fine detailed and the skill involved challenges a rigid separation between the "art" and "craft." Editor: It's a completely different perspective. The materials and labor used adds to my understanding and deepens the experience. I was focusing on religious art from the Renaissance, but the materiality is critical to understanding its context. Curator: Exactly! Understanding the relationship of materials and labor allows us to examine it within the culture from which it emerged.