Maria met kind 1600 - 1639

Editor: This is "Maria met kind," or "Mary with child," an engraving by Pierre Firens, likely from sometime between 1600 and 1639. It's incredibly detailed, almost ornate, but also feels quite rigid. What do you see in this piece, particularly considering it’s an engraving? Curator: Well, let's look at this engraving from a materialist perspective. Firens used metal plates, a burin, and acid to create this image. Each line, each mark is a testament to skilled labor, requiring intense precision and time. Note how the use of hatching and cross-hatching not only creates the illusion of volume and texture but also highlights the engraver’s mastery over their materials. And consider what that level of detailed work represents: the patron was likely someone wealthy who could afford such exquisite craftmanship. What kind of message do you think is communicated in such painstaking rendering? Editor: That makes a lot of sense. The detail is pretty amazing when you consider the technique. So the very act of creating such an ornate engraving almost becomes a statement in itself? Curator: Precisely. Think about the materials used – metal plates are durable and meant for reproducibility. It is not only about conveying a religious message but about mass production. These prints allowed for broader dissemination of religious iconography to, presumably, the rising merchant class who consumed such material. Editor: It’s fascinating to think about how the printmaking process itself influences the image's meaning and its accessibility. So, we see here a religious item as commodity. Curator: Exactly! The production, distribution, and consumption of the piece shape our understanding as much as, if not more than, its surface subject matter. Understanding that allows us a new perspective. Editor: Definitely. It's much more than just a devotional image; it's a window into the economic and social structures of the time.