Man at the machine: the mechanism and the body in early Modern printmaking

<jats:p>Book and print production represents a crucial milestone on the path toward an industrial society and its visual culture. This article aims to explain the subordinate nature of the depicted body within the compositions of engravings exploring the interaction between mechanism and the human body, using Jacques Besson’s “The Theater of Instruments and Machines” (1570s) and Jacob de Gheyn’s “The Exercise of Armes” (1607) as case studies. These illustrated books can be examined as early forms of visual aids, which necessitates addressing the synthesis of image and word. Focusing on the analyzing the relationships between man, mechanism, engraving, and corporeality, the novelty of this art-historical study lies in identifying that the representation of the human body can serve as a visual marker of changes in the dissemination of knowledge and art production during the early Modern period, allowing for a highly relevant perspective on the selected books. The study demonstrates that the subordinate position of the depicted body is rooted in the functional nature of these prints, combined with their orientation toward the reader-viewer. On the one hand, this was typical for the mass print of that time; on the other hand, it involved the recipient in the flow of knowledge reproduction as part of production and the emerging industrial civilization.</jats:p>