Filippo Neri herkent onreine geur 1630 - 1641

This print, “Filippo Neri herkent onreine geur,” was made by Luca Ciamberlano, an Italian artist working in the first half of the 17th century. It's an etching, meaning the artist drew an image with a needle on a coated metal plate, which was then bitten by acid, and used to make impressions. Think about that process for a moment. It's quite indirect, a technical tour-de-force. The contrast with the subject of the print is acute. Here we see a saint reacting to an impure odor with disgust. The image is a perfect demonstration of the printmaking craft. Ciamberlano uses cross-hatching to build up the image, in precise strokes. It's a technique completely different from the saint's instantaneous reaction, which has nothing to do with labor, time, or material. The subject is the opposite of the method. The making of this image is therefore at odds with its narrative. This reminds us of the divide that exists even in the most spiritual contexts, between those who work, and those for whom work is beneath them.