Antipater verslaat de legers van Mithridates 1574

This print, 'Antipater verslaat de legers van Mithridates', was made by an anonymous artist. It depicts Antipater defeating the armies of Mithridates using a process called engraving, where lines are incised into a metal plate, and then filled with ink to create a printed image. Look closely, and you'll notice that the entire scene is built up through a network of these lines. The density and direction of each line gives form to the figures, the landscape, and the drama of battle. It is a demanding, highly skilled process, and the matrix from which the print was pulled could have been used to make many impressions, with each one reflecting the hand of the printer as well as the engraver. The image likely circulated widely, and its impact would have depended on the labour not just of the named artist or designer, but a whole workshop system. So next time you see a print, remember that it's not just an image, but the result of a complex social network of makers.