Oxen and elephants, from 'The Triumph of Caesar' 1504

This print, "Oxen and Elephants, from 'The Triumph of Caesar'" was made in the early 16th century by Jacob of Strasbourg. It is an engraving, meaning that the artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually carve lines into a metal plate, which would then be inked and printed. Look closely, and you'll notice that all the forms are built up from careful accumulations of lines. The artist is completely reliant on the precision of their hand, and knowledge of the material properties of the metal. This painstaking process is a far cry from the mass production of images today. The subject matter - a triumphal procession - speaks to the social and political context of the artwork. It reminds us that labor, not just in artmaking but also in conquest and empire-building, lies behind any display of power. This print, with its careful, handmade quality, invites us to consider the immense amount of human effort that goes into creating cultural achievements. It's a potent reminder that art is not separate from the world, but deeply embedded in it.