Artwork
A Monstrance
A Monstrance is a print by the Renaissance artist Daniel Hopfer. It dates from 1485 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The image is an etched design for a monstrance, a liturgical vessel used in Roman Catholic worship to display the consecrated Host. Rendered as a detailed print, the drawing outlines a tall, ornamental structure that would be fashioned in gold or silver, with a central glazed compartment for the Eucharistic element.
Subject & Meaning
The central niche of the proposed monstrance holds the Sacred Host, symbolized by a circular disk bearing a crucifixion scene flanked by two apostles. Angelic figures are shown supporting the Host, emphasizing its sacred status during the Corpus Christi procession and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
Technique & Style
Created by Daniel Ho, the work is an acid‑etched copper plate print. Etching allowed the artist to produce fine line work and intricate ornamentation, typical of 16th‑century workshop drawings that circulated among goldsmiths and silversmiths as templates for actual metal objects.
History & Provenance
The print originates from a goldsmith’s workshop context, intended as a reference for craftsmen constructing the actual monstrance. Such designs were commonly distributed in the early modern period to standardize liturgical metalwork across regions.
Context
Monstrances were central to Catholic ritual, especially during the feast of Corpus Christi, when the Host was carried in procession. The design reflects the Counter‑Reformation emphasis on visual splendor and the theological importance of the visible presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Artist & collection
Artist
Daniel Hopfer (c. 1470 – 1536) was a German artist who is widely believed to have been the first to use etching in printmaking, at the end of the 15th century. He also worked in woodcut. Although his etchings were…
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