Engraving Prints

Engraving is a type of Intaglio printmaking where lines are furrowed into a metal plate with a sharp angled tool known as a burin. The plate is then inked and pressed to create the image. Though forms of engraving have existed since the Stone Age, this painstaking technique was refined in the mid-1400s in Germany, and was used extensively for mapmaking, mass-produced illustrations for books, and even for the printing of currency.

Engraving reached its zenith in the mid-1500s, when artists began to create prints of monumental size and minute detail. The versatility of the technique allows for a tremendous level of detail, while still showing subtle tonalities, depending upon the length and width of the furrowed lines.

Artists often vary the width of parallel lines by using a burin with a wider angle, or incise crosshatched lines to create shading and tone. This technique was pioneered by the Italian master artist Andrea Mantegna, who is known for creating astonishing three-dimensional effects.

Quick Facts

• The bible references the engraving technique several times within the Old Testament, in reference to religious garments and articles
• Several bible passages also indicate that the role of engraver was considered specialized and required significant training
• Before being elevated to a high art form by artists such as Andrea Mantegna and Albrecht Dürer, engraving was the exclusive technique of metalsmiths