The Delphic Sibyl, from "Prophets and Sibyls in the Sistine Chapel" 1570 - 1575

This engraving of The Delphic Sibyl was made by Giorgio Ghisi, sometime in the 16th century. It’s based on Michelangelo’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel. Ghisi was a virtuoso printmaker, and that skill is evident here. Look closely, and you can see how he used a technique called burin engraving, cutting lines into a copper plate, which then held ink and could be printed onto paper. The density of these lines creates the illusion of shading and volume. Consider the sheer labor involved. Every single line was painstakingly incised by hand. Ghisi would have needed not only artistic skill, but also tremendous patience and control. This was a high-status craft, often used to disseminate the designs of leading artists like Michelangelo. Though a reproduction, Ghisi's print is a testament to the value placed on skilled handwork in early modern Europe, and demonstrates how the status of the craftsman was elevated.