The Lamentation of Christ c. 1630 - 1633

Hercules Segers made this small print, "The Lamentation of Christ," sometime in the early 17th century, using etching and color printing. Segers was a material experimentalist, who treated the etching plate not as a means of reproduction but as a site for unique invention. His methods were highly unorthodox. He would often use textiles to add texture to the printing surface, or would combine different techniques to get the effects he was after. The result in this case is a somber, almost ghostly image. Prints like this one existed in a commercial market. Yet, Segers’s engagement was far from commercial, even obsessive. He worked against the grain of the medium, making prints that don't look much like prints at all. In the end, understanding Segers's work means appreciating his deep dive into the material possibilities of printmaking, and recognizing the ways in which his methods set him apart from the standard practices of his time.