Heilige Familie met de aartsengel Michaël en de jonge Johannes de Doper 1582

This is Annibale Carracci’s ‘Holy Family with the Archangel Michael and the Young John the Baptist’, made in the late sixteenth century using an engraving technique. The image is comprised of numerous fine lines incised into a metal plate, which would then be inked and printed on paper. Look closely, and you’ll notice the complexity of the composition. From the Archangel Michael standing triumphantly over the devil, to the tender scene of the Holy Family. Note how the delicate hatching creates tonal variations that model the figures and evoke light and shadow. The engraving process itself requires immense skill. The artist would have needed a steady hand to create such detail, as well as knowledge of perspective, anatomy, and composition. Although engravings such as this are often considered to be secondary to painting, they offered wider audiences access to sophisticated visual culture. This work is an excellent example of how craft and fine art traditions intertwine, and invites us to consider the many forms of labor involved in art production.