Die verlorene Spur

This publication is devoted to a hitherto little examined aspect of hand drawing and printmaking: How was hatching reflected upon in the period between c. 1500 and 1700? Central aspects of the artistic technique are examined on the basis of five case studies. The perspective extends beyond European national borders and seeks answers to this question. Methodologically, approaches of discourse history and reception aesthetics are combined. The promising source situation discloses a treasure trove of historical texts, many of which were transcribed and translated for the first time in this context. Detailed image analyses show the full potential of hatching and the way it functions in the artworks and their viewing. First monograph on the technique of hatching in the early modern periodPreviously unpublished image and text material