SEARCH FOR ARTISTIC SOLUTIONS IN THE EUROPEAN RENAISSANCE ENGRAVING

Abstract

The article examines the search for artistic solutions in the European engraving of the Renaissance. The technological, aesthetic and social reasons for the emergence of this new art form are considered. The difference between edge and incisal engraving techniques on wood and metal is highlighted. The main features and mannerisms of famous masters of various national schools of reproduction, creative and book engraving are described. Engraving on the territory of Europe arose at the turn of the 14th and 15th centuries. It had its own technological prototypes that existed before. For xylography, these are stamps-seals and punches, for engraving - the craft of jewelers, for etching – the skill of gunsmiths. But, like a print on paper of an image cut on a special board or etched on a metal plate, it appears only in our time. This coincided with the collapse of the medieval highly synthetic type of art, the growing desire for a more visually accurate depiction of nature, interest in a scientific perspective, secular themes. Unlike painting, engraving took on the qualities of symbolism and abstraction. In addition, engraving differs from other types of fine art by a special quality – circulation. In the second half of the 15th century, books appeared with illustrations showing various tools or the structure of the Solar System, the specifics of certain plants, and city views. The circulation of the engraving contributed to the rapid and convenient distribution of the nobility. This continued until the middle of the 19th century, when photography and photomechanics appeared, which in many ways replaced engraving [4]. But until that moment, thanks to its ability to reproduce, engraving itself can be considered one of the tools for expanding knowledge. Today, in the era of digital technologies, interest in traditional engraving techniques does not disappear. Studying and rethinking the achievements of previous periods makes it possible to expand the expressive means of artistic works.