Adam Perzyński (University of Warsaw, Poland)
At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had a relatively underdeveloped tradition of intaglio print production. One of the earliest known engravers active in the region was Tomasz Makowski, who worked during the first two decades of the century at the court of Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł “the Orphan” in Niasviž. While the majority of Makowski’s work consists of illustrations accompanying texts, he also produced single prints. The decision to employ an engraver such as Makowski raises the question of why Radziwiłł would invest in the more costly process of intaglio engraving, rather than rely on the more economical and widespread use of woodcuts.This paper seeks to address that question by contextualizing Makowski’s activity within the broader strategies of engraving acquisition in the region—particularly the practice of purchasing or commissioning intaglio prints from foreign printing centres. The study also considers the contributions of a small number of local engravers working contemporaneously with Makowski. By examining these practices, this research offers new insights into the role of engraved imagery in the print culture of Eastern Europe, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of European print production that extends beyond the dominant centres of engraving.