Maria Magdalena 1610 - 1655

Editor: Here we have Pieter Fransz. de Grebber's "Maria Magdalena," an engraving from between 1610 and 1655. There’s something stark and reflective about it, maybe stemming from the chiaroscuro technique, contrasting light and shadow so dramatically. What are your initial thoughts on it? Curator: The power for me resides in the labour embedded within the engraved line. Think about the hand that meticulously etched each groove, creating a matrix used for repeated reproduction. Consider how the printing process democratized this image of repentance. Do you think the wide distribution affected its devotional impact? Editor: I hadn’t considered it in that context. I was just seeing it as a beautiful artwork, but I suppose its accessibility through print changes the whole perspective. How would that impact how people viewed art, devotion and even consumption in that period? Curator: Precisely! And consider the cost of the materials: the copper plate, the paper, the ink. These weren't throwaway items. Each impression represents a calculated investment, a commodification of faith disseminated into the social fabric. The act of owning and displaying this print transforms it from a mere image into a devotional object with economic value. What kind of labour went into this print and its reproductions? Editor: I can see that now. The labour and materiality, and even the cost of this "Maria Magdalena" speak volumes. I'll definitely consider that more in my analyses moving forward. Thank you. Curator: And I’ll contemplate that devotion through accessible dissemination of image. Always enriching to view art from many angles.