Engel met het kruis 1580 - 1600

This print, Engel met het kruis, was made by Johann Sadeler I around the turn of the 17th century, using the technique of engraving. This process involves incising an image onto a metal plate, inking it, and then pressing it onto paper. The network of fine lines is crucial here. Sadeler would have used a tool called a burin to physically cut those lines into the copperplate. The depth and density of these marks determine the tones and textures we see – from the angel's feathered wings to the rough-hewn wooden cross. Engraving like this was a highly skilled craft. The engraver needed absolute precision to translate a drawing into a print that could be reproduced many times over. The level of detail achieved speaks to the intense labor involved. Consider how the medium itself – the sharp, unwavering line of the engraving – lends a sense of clarity and moral certainty to the image. The materiality and making are inseparable from the image’s symbolic power. It's a reminder that even the most ethereal subjects are brought into being through very physical means.