Adam And Eve 1504

Albrecht Durer made this print of Adam and Eve, using the technique of engraving. This meticulous process involved incising lines into a copper plate with a tool called a burin. The material qualities of the metal are crucial here. Durer’s image emerges from the contrast between the ink held in the engraved lines, and the polished surface of the plate. Look closely, and you can see the sheer labor involved in the many thousands of marks that build up the composition. The sharpness of the engraving lends a remarkable clarity to the forms, but the process is slow and demanding. Durer was among the first to grasp the potential of printmaking to disseminate images widely. In a sense, engraving was the industrial technology of its day, allowing artists to reach a broad audience, and to build a reputation far beyond their home city. The finished prints became valuable commodities, bought and sold across Europe. So in considering this image, we must appreciate its grounding in material, process, and the emerging market for art.