Saint Andrea Corsini dressed as Bishop of Fiesole, holding a crosier and looking up, after Reni 1775 - 1841

Francesco Rosaspina created this print of Saint Andrea Corsini in the late 18th or early 19th century, using etching and engraving. The result is a complex interplay of light and shadow. Rosaspina wasn't inventing the image, but working after a painting by Guido Reni. Printmaking in this period involved skilled labor. The etcher uses acid to bite lines into a metal plate; the engraver uses a burin to directly incise the metal. The different techniques allow for a rich tonal range when the plate is inked and pressed onto paper. The result is a multiplication of the original image of Saint Andrea Corsini, which democratizes access to it. Yet we should also consider the social context. This print was made at a time when the Catholic Church was losing its grip on European society. The making and distributing of this print, then, becomes an act with political implications. It underscores how techniques can carry cultural meaning, far beyond the simple reproduction of an image.