Madonna met kind

Jan Gossart made this engraving of the Madonna and Child in the early 16th century, deploying the technique of hatching - closely-spaced parallel lines - to create an image of impressive tonal range. The lines are all, of course, on the surface. Yet, notice how they render three-dimensional form and suggest different materials, from the soft flesh of mother and child to the heavy drapery that surrounds them. Engraving is a slow, additive process. Using a tool called a burin, the artist carefully incises lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. In Gossart’s time, printmaking was becoming a major industry, allowing for the mass production and distribution of images. It took the skills of the hand to create the plate from which multiples could be made and disseminated. This beautiful print shows how even a mechanically-reproduced image can be the result of skillful making. By understanding the nature of its production, we can appreciate the artistry involved.