Charity 16th-17th century

Curator: This is Raphael Sadeler the Elder's "Charity," a print showcasing a mother and children against a detailed background. Editor: It feels… weighty. All those bodies, that drapery. You can almost feel the pressure of the plate on the paper. Curator: Right, Sadeler was known for his engraving skills, the way he captured light and shadow here, the lines are so precise, almost sculptural. Editor: And look at all the labor gone into it! From the initial design to the actual printmaking, a whole network of artisans would be involved in something like this. Curator: It’s like a meditation on devotion, really. The figures in the background seem to be performing acts of kindness, mirroring the central image. Editor: I suppose, but I can't help but think about the material conditions that made a piece like this possible, the access to resources, the social structures… Curator: Yes, but there’s still something so tender about the mother’s gaze, so universal about the need for compassion that transcends the materials used. Editor: Perhaps. But seeing the process gives me a completely different perspective.