Calvary, from Life of the Virgin and Christ 1490 - 1500

Francesco Rosselli produced this engraving of Calvary in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century. The medium, ink on paper, is relatively humble, yet the final effect is intricate. Look closely and you can see the marks left by the engraver's tool, each one carefully placed. The image’s meaning is, of course, tied to the Christian narrative of the crucifixion. Yet the choice of engraving, a relatively new technology at the time, also speaks to wider social changes. Rosselli's work was made at a time when printmaking was becoming increasingly important as a means of disseminating images and ideas. Its reproducibility allowed for a democratization of religious art, reaching a wider audience than traditional painting. The very act of creating an engraving required labor. An artisan would have to possess the technical skill, and access to a printing press. The rise of printmaking was intrinsically linked to the growth of cities, trade, and new forms of visual communication. So, think about how the image itself, its content and making, speaks to a pivotal moment in the history of production.