Christus op de Olijfberg 1634 - 1693

This print, ‘Christ on the Mount of Olives,’ was made by Jonas Umbach sometime in the 17th century. He used a technique called etching: a metal plate is coated with wax, the design is scratched into the wax, and then acid is applied to bite the exposed metal. The resulting lines are then inked, and the image transferred to paper under great pressure. The real skill is in the drawing through wax, establishing an image through myriad tiny lines. This is the kind of work that requires patience. There's no quick way to make an etching. In this period, printmaking was increasingly important; it allowed for the relatively inexpensive distribution of imagery. Prints like this one would have brought biblical scenes into many homes, reinforcing faith through a kind of domestic production. So, while ‘Christ on the Mount of Olives’ speaks to a moment of intense personal reflection, it is also a testament to the power of the printed image and the skillful labor required to produce it.