Bacchus seated on a barrel in front of grapevines, with bacchantes, satyrs, and children surrounding him 1758

Pietro Peiroleri created this engraving of Bacchus and his entourage sometime around the late 1700s. It's made from a sheet of paper, but the real story is in the process. Engraving involves meticulously incising lines into a metal plate, which are then filled with ink and printed onto paper. This intaglio method allows for incredible detail and tonal range, evident in the textures of the grapevines, the fleshy bodies, and even the fur of the animal at Bacchus’s feet. It's a labor-intensive process, requiring both technical skill and artistic vision. In Peiroleri's time, printmaking was booming. Engravings like this one made classical themes widely accessible. While the elite could collect paintings and sculpture, prints allowed a broader audience to engage with art and ideas. The lines in this image are connected to the labor required for the engraving process, echoing the labor of the artisans that produced the wine the subject is celebrating. This work underscores how techniques shape not only the appearance of art, but its social role as well.