December c. 16th century

Editor: This is "December" by Aegidius Sadeler II, and it looks like an engraving. The details of daily life are fascinating, but also quite bleak. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Note how Sadeler focuses on the labor involved in preparing for winter. The engraving process itself, the material reality of ink on paper, mirrors the labor it depicts: slaughtering animals, stoking fires, communal effort. The "high art" of printmaking served to disseminate images of everyday, even brutal, realities. Editor: So, it’s about the contrast between the work that goes into making art, and the work that goes into daily life? Curator: Precisely. Consider the value placed on each type of labor, then and now. What does it say about our consumption of both art and sustenance? Editor: I never thought of it that way. It makes me think about where things come from. Curator: Indeed, by understanding the material conditions of its creation, we gain a deeper understanding of the artwork itself.