Nicholas Sanderson c. 18th century

Editor: This is "Nicholas Sanderson" by Jan Faber the Younger, located at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a striking portrait, and I’m curious about the armillary sphere he’s holding. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The print embodies a material and intellectual tension. The very act of creating an engraved image, a reproducible commodity, elevates Sanderson, a professor, into the realm of the celebrated. We must consider the labor involved in the printmaking process, from the engraver's skill to the paper's production. The social context of scientific illustration and the rise of the printed image also play a role. Editor: That's a fascinating way to look at it. Thinking about the physical process adds another dimension to my understanding. Curator: Indeed! By examining the materiality and means of production, we gain a deeper appreciation of both the subject and the art itself.