Witnessing

The last supper.

The Last Judgment, a copper engraving by Ioann. Wierix from Adnotationes et meditationes in Euangelia quæ in sacrosancto missæ sacrificio toto anno leguntur: : cum eorundem Euangeliorum concordantia, printed by Ioannem Moretum in 1607.

The Descent of Christ into Hell, a copper engraving by Ant. Wierx from Adnotationes et meditationes... printed by Ioannem Moretum in 1607.

Christ holding a child, a woodcut from Manual de Administrar, printed in Mexico by Maria de Benavides in 1700.

Crucifixion, a woodcut from Flos sanctorum, o, libro de las vidas de los santos, printed in Barcelona by Vicente Suria in 1688.

Copper engraved title page from Arte di goder l’ottimo contenuta negli Esercizii spirituali di Santo Ignazio di Loiola fondatore della Compagnia di Giesu / ed’osservata dal padre Gioseppe Agnelli della medesima Compagnia, printed in Roma by Gio. Giacomo Komarek in 1695.

A guide to using the hand as a memory aid in examining the conscience, a copper engraving in Arte di goder... printed in Roma by Gio. Giacomo Komarek in 1695.

The expulsion of the fallen angels from heaven and of Adam and Eve from Eden, copper engraving in Arte di goder ... printed in Roma by Gio. Giacomo Komarek in 1695.

A seated man pierced by the seven deadly sins, a copper engraving in Arte di goder... printed in Roma by Gio. Giacomo Komarek in 1695.

The Last Supper, a copper engraving from Missale Romanum, printed in Antverpiae by Bathasaris Moreti in 1632.

Pentecost, a copper engraving from Missale Romanum, printed in Antverpiae by Bathasaris Moreti in 1632.

A Phoenix, a woodcut from Vida Simbolica, printed in Madrid by Antonio Roman in 1688.

The Mission Library has a second copy of this work, printed in Valencia in 1739. The printer of that book had obtained the original printing blocks used to illustrate this one; the images are near-exact duplicates, the only differences being signs of heavy wear.

A wheel of sayings, metal type artwork from Elogio De San Juan Apostol y Evangelista, printed in Mexico by Felipe de Zuniga y Ontiveros in 1793.

This page demonstrates the types of ornamentation a printer could achieve without commissioning an artist to provide illustrations. The small, repeated decorations here are from dingbats, small decorative pieces that could be included with a set of movable type. Though they were more commonly used as space fillers, a talented typesetter could work wonders with them.

Title page of Lignum vitae : libellus in quatuor partes distinctus ; et ad utilitatem cujusque animae in altiorem vitae perfectionem suspirantis, nuperrime editus, a woodcut by R. Vaughan printed in Londini by Joh. Grismond in 1688.

Title page of Gl’inganni della via spirituale di Francesco Stadiera : della Compagnia di Giesù, a copper engraving by Hieron David, printed in Bologna by F. Cattanio in 1635.

Title page of Prophetae Isaias, Ieremias, Baruch, Ezechiel, Daniel, XII Minores, et Machabaeorum, a copper etching printed in Coloniae by Jacobum Naulaeum in 1679.

Religious artwork serves the dual purposes of meeting aesthetic desires and bringing past events to life, giving the viewer an opportunity to participate as a witness. While books were by no means cheap, they were relatively affordable when compared to commissioned paintings or sculptures. The juxtaposition of word and image found in an illustrated book enhances the experience of reading and of seeing, encouraging the audience to reflect on how the two means of communication interact.