Paard uit Albanië c. 1578 - 1582

Hendrick Goltzius made this engraving of an Albanian horse, using a technique that demanded incredible dexterity. Consider the sheer labor involved. The artist used a tool called a burin to manually cut thousands of tiny lines into a copper plate. The depth, width, and proximity of each mark determined the appearance of light and shadow. The print’s illusionistic qualities are undeniable, but so is the fact that it is the product of countless hours of highly skilled work. The horse itself is interesting too. Goltzius likely never saw an Albanian horse. Instead, he was working from descriptions, and perhaps other artworks. This distance between the image and reality raises a fascinating question: is the print really about an Albanian horse, or is it more about the circulation of knowledge and aesthetics in early modern Europe? Either way, it surely indicates the extent to which skilled making plays a vital role in our understanding of art history, as well as broader social and cultural dynamics.