Skip to Content
Today Open today 11–8

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

The Invention of Copper Engraving, from Nova Reperta

A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of engraving in black on ivory laid paper.

Date:

c. 1591

Artist:

Theodor Galle (Flemish, 1571-1633)
after Joannes Stradanus (Flemish, 1523-1605)

About this artwork

Joannes Stradanus’s image of an intaglio print shop includes plate engravers, roller-press printers, and fresh impressions drying on ropes in the background. The legend Sculptura in Aes implies that the engraving is being done on copper plates. The print is the nineteenth image in the artist’s New Discoveries series, which also included the European arrival in the Americas and the invention of book printing.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Theodoor Galle

Title

The Invention of Copper Engraving, from Nova Reperta

Place

Flanders (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1586–1596

Medium

Engraving in black on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Image/sheet, trimmed within platemark: 20.2 × 27.3 cm (8 × 10 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

The Amanda S. Johnson and Marion J. Livingston Fund

Reference Number

2009.668

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/200659/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms