Man met schuine baret leunend op een stok 1773

Editor: This is "Man met schuine baret leunend op een stok" – a rather evocative title I think! It’s an engraving, an intaglio print from 1773 by Johann Andreas Benjamin Nothnagel. Looking at the detail achieved with the engraving technique is fascinating, but also makes me wonder about the social context. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Absolutely. Consider how the artist's choice of engraving reflects access to certain resources - both materials like copper plates and specialized tools, but also the training required. Think about the labor involved in producing this image. Was it destined for mass production or a more exclusive audience? Editor: That's interesting; it immediately makes me think about how the process shapes the message. But if it was destined for mass production, what kind of workshops or environments might have been used for printing these? Curator: Exactly! And how that differs from painting for the wealthy aristocracy. Also consider the availability of the print, what purpose did prints like this serve for people who did not have access to original artwork? The availability of the art object through engraving changes the dynamic of viewership. It also has implications on our understanding of this figure. Editor: I see! It changes everything, especially our understanding of who got access to art! That also influences our understanding of beauty. So much to unpack in just a single print! Curator: Precisely. And questioning assumptions of who labor benefits is key to a Materialist lens. Now, how does that change your initial response? Editor: Thinking about the print as an accessible, reproducible object rather than a singular masterpiece actually enriches my experience of it. I initially just saw a portrait; I am now appreciating a specific method of production, labor, and broader access to the piece! Curator: Exactly, now consider who consumed those works, and why…