Portret van Gottlob Schober 1725

Editor: So, this is "Portret van Gottlob Schober" from 1725, by Martin Bernigeroth. It’s an engraving. What strikes me most is the detail in the wig. What do you make of it? Curator: For me, it's about understanding the labour involved in creating and consuming images like these. Engravings like these were essentially reproductive technologies. This image becomes accessible to a much broader audience than if it was a painted portrait only for Gottlob Schober and his family. Editor: That’s a great point! So the material itself, the engraving, enables wider access and consumption of Schober's image? Curator: Exactly. Consider also the artisan who spent hours etching that plate – a skilled labourer contributing to Schober's social standing. Look at the deliberate way in which the material itself reinforces the social structure of the time, where craft and material served as social currency. It blurs the distinction between simple commodity and artwork. Editor: Interesting. It's not just about Schober, but also about the infrastructure that created the image. Do you see any connections with today’s social media images, that create social standing, say influencers, by blurring what seems organic but is in effect commodified through advertising? Curator: That’s a fascinating parallel! What’s the final lesson that you derive from seeing the work this way? Editor: Looking at it through a materialist lens reveals not just an individual, but a whole network of production, consumption, and even social values. The print’s texture suddenly conveys its place in social construction and consumption. Curator: Precisely! The medium becomes the message, materially speaking.