Catafalque of Leopold, Archduke of Austria 1646

This print, made by Wilhelm Frommer, commemorates the death of Archduke Leopold of Austria. It was made using the technique of engraving, in which lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. Look closely, and you’ll see that the image is of a highly elaborate temporary structure, called a catafalque. Such structures were typically made of wood and plaster, and adorned with textiles, sculpture, and painting. Frommer’s print gives us a sense of the textures and forms involved, and also something of the labor involved in creating such a spectacular, if ephemeral, tribute. The skilled engraver could suggest all this through the manipulation of line alone. The image would have circulated widely, allowing people to participate vicariously in the solemn occasion. Here, the print medium itself is integral to the work’s social purpose. It reminds us that all artwork, however seemingly rarefied, is always grounded in the realities of materials, making, and social context.