Reproductie van een prent van twee maskers door Frans Huys before 1880

These two masks were reproduced by an anonymous artist from a print by Frans Huys. They are rendered in ink on paper, using the intaglio process. To make the original print by Huys, a copper plate would have been engraved with fine lines, then inked and pressed onto paper. The pressure of the printing process would have left a slight indentation on the page, which you may be able to discern. Prints like these were crucial for disseminating visual ideas. These masks are of the grotesque type, popular in the 16th century. Ornament like this would have been used by artisans in all media, from ceramics to woodwork, as source material for their own designs. The skilled labor involved in engraving was considerable, and the resulting prints were valuable commodities. Think of them as the internet of their day! Appreciating the craft and design of these kinds of 'lesser' arts allows us to see their important role in cultural exchange.