Resumen de The Image in the Viewer's Hands: The Reception of Early Prints in Europe
Part of a special section presenting fresh scholarly approaches to the first printed images in Europe. The viewer played a role in shaping the viewing experience and meaning of early printed images in Europe. As with other medieval art objects, a print's origination was not always the most decisive factor in shaping its meaning and function. Although a print may have been produced and sold in connection with a certain pilgrimage site, a miraculous image, or a specific indulgence or protection, the portability of the image and its typical acquisition by an individual viewer meant that it ultimately fell to one person to give it a context and meaning. The early print medium constituted a redefining or heightening of the viewing experience itself that allowed an almost interactive play between viewer and image. The writer goes on to discuss the ways in which viewers transformed the images, including the addition of text and the cutting away of portions of the image.
