Reliquary with Pietà

About this work

This print looks like a busy, ornate frame holding a small scene. At the top sits a bare-chested figure with a halo, holding a cross. Below, a group of people huddle around a body wrapped in cloth. Angels with wings float around the edges, clutching ribbons and flowers. The background is packed with swirling leaves and faces peeking from the decorations. The whole thing is carved into metal twice—once for the frame, once for the scene. That’s how the lines got so sharp and deep. The artist used a needle to bite into the plate, a trick called *etching*. Want to see more? Look up etching to see how artists made prints like this.