Barnabas en Paulus worden gestenigd 1547

Curator: This is Cornelis Bos's engraving, "Barnabas and Paul being stoned," created in 1547, during the height of the Northern Mannerist printmaking boom. What springs to mind for you as you look at it? Editor: Immediately, it's the density and violence. That stark contrast between the lifeless bodies and the muscular figures above, raising rocks... It's heavy, no pun intended. There's also something stage-like about the setting that feels deliberately composed and constructed. Curator: I think the way the scene is built underscores your comment; consider how printmaking allowed for the mass production and distribution of biblical scenes like this one. Each copy facilitated the dissemination of not only religious narratives but also social and political messages tied to persecution and faith. How the mode of distribution shapes the interpretation! Editor: Absolutely, I hadn't considered that aspect of "mass distribution." For me, the emotion in those contorted bodies is incredibly striking, it speaks of desperation but then you also see a theatrical drama as well! I'm also really caught by how Bos uses line to create light and shadow. It gives so much depth and feeling. Curator: You bring up a good point when considering production methods; that reliance on the line emphasizes the labor that went into the act of carving the image into the metal plate, a process which would have required great skill and time. In doing so, Bos created a narrative but also an indexical record of his own artistic toil. The distribution methods that became popular during the Reformation gave rise to unique business for artists like Cornelis Bos! Editor: Knowing that gives me a whole new layer of appreciation for his artistry and I'd previously thought I was just looking at the scene but really its Bos too I guess? What started as an unnerving display is something wholly compelling. I guess there is something to be said for the relationship between labor, belief, and artistry when they merge! Curator: Exactly, from social factors of faith to the materiality of ink on paper; this print connects artistry to manufacture and labor during times of religious tumult.