Engraving by Bernard Picart: Relations Inquiring of the Deceased Why He Left the World, Framed

Small scene of gathered figures hides inside a wide mat and a pale frame.

This engraving is from London, England, United Kingdom, and dates to the 18th century. It is ink on paper. Printmaking carried enthusiasm for the Orient beyond a small circle of patrons, because publishers and artists produced illustrated books on travel and religion that could be distributed affordably to all classes. Floating in a broad cream mat, a tiny rectangular print shows several figures seated and reclining in a timber-framed room, drawn in fine hatching. A short caption sits beneath in italics. The pale gilt frame carries a carved ribbon-like molding along its face. It is 16 inches wide and 14 high.

The frame is doing the shouting while the print whispers.