Sater bespiedt een slapende vrouw 1604

Francesco Brizio made this print titled 'Satyr spying on a sleeping woman' using etching and engraving techniques sometime between 1569 and 1623. Engraving involves using a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a metal plate, while etching uses acid to bite lines into the metal. Brizio combined both here. The velvety blacks and crisp hairlines are clues to his process. This print belongs to a long history of reproductive image-making. Prints like these allowed for the wider circulation of imagery. It also speaks to a workshop system of labor, where specialized artisans would spend hours meticulously incising lines into metal. The quality of the print, and the fineness of the lines, would signal the skill of the maker, embedding social status within the work. Thinking about prints like these reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are the product of complex social relationships, technical skill, and the division of labor.