Verering van de Japanse goden Canon en Xanti 1724

This engraving, made by Bernard Picart around the early 18th century, purports to show the Japanese gods Canon and Xanti. Of course, the image doesn't give us a true picture of Japanese religious practice. Instead, it tells us about European printmaking at the time. The copperplate engraving process allowed for detailed lines and intricate patterns. A highly skilled artisan, and likely Picart himself, would have used specialized tools called burins and scrapers to carve the image into a copper plate. Ink was then applied to the plate and wiped off the surface, leaving ink only in the engraved lines. The plate was pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Notice the sharp lines used to create the scenes, the textures of the figures’ garments, and the architectural details of the buildings. This print reflects a significant investment of labor. The print was likely made in multiples, underscoring the growing market for images and knowledge about the world at the time.