Catharina verzorgt een zieke in zijn huis 1603

Cornelis Galle I made this print, Catharina verzorgt een zieke in zijn huis, sometime between 1576 and 1650. It is made of ink on paper, using an intaglio process, where the image is incised into a metal plate, and then printed. What's remarkable about this print is the way that Galle, as a skilled draftsman, renders texture and light through labor-intensive mark-making. The lines are carefully placed to create a sense of depth and shadow, as if the scene were sculpted in miniature. The subject, the caring for the sick, and the miracle are all given equal weight, highlighting the virtues of compassion and faith. The print is so dependent on the engraver’s skills. The material qualities of the ink on paper are transformed through the artist’s technical prowess and labor, into a narrative that is designed to inspire the viewer with religious fervor. It bridges the gap between the hand-made and mass production, and between the sacred and the everyday. It blurs the boundaries between craft and fine art.