Croquis (two Arabian figures) 

Curator: Before us is “Croquis (two Arabian figures),” an etching by Mariano Fortuny Marsal. Editor: There's a striking sense of transience here. The sketch-like quality coupled with the subdued tones makes them appear as if they're fading away right before our eyes. Curator: Indeed. Considering that it's an etching, one can only wonder about the labor it took to translate what appears as a fleeting impression onto the metal plate. I'm especially drawn to the use of line—how the density and direction establish both form and shadow. Look at how Fortuny Marsal depicts fabrics versus the rough hewn wooden stick they are holding. Editor: It’s also hard not to situate this piece within the context of Orientalism. There’s this pervasive power dynamic inherent in the act of depicting people from different cultures, particularly North Africa in this period. We must consider whose gaze is prioritized here, and who profits from this visual representation. Curator: A necessary viewpoint. Thinking about materials, the very act of printing—multiple reproductions from a single matrix—introduces interesting ideas about commodification, even in what appears to be a study. Were these readily available for sale, contributing to an ongoing economy of Orientalist imagery? Editor: And we cannot ignore the potential fetishization present, a gaze focused intently on the ‘exotic’ other. There’s an ambivalence about the way they’re presented: enshrouded, obscured, while at the same time vulnerably exposed. Curator: Thinking about it as a commodity, then, raises issues of appropriation and the artist’s own positionality within that system of production and consumption. To me, the work’s "unfinished" quality almost challenges a "finished" work and complicates the narrative of consumption. Editor: These glimpses offer a fascinating starting point for unraveling threads of colonialism, artistic expression, and representation. I see the need to look deeper into those shadows. Curator: I think I see what you mean by fading…it is also disappearing and becoming the realm of myth.