Duck and Heron with a Fish; verso: blank c. 18th century

Editor: This is Jean-Baptiste Oudry's "Duck and Heron with a Fish." I’m really drawn to the delicate use of color, and the way the paper itself seems to be part of the composition. What stands out to you? Curator: Consider the handmade paper, likely a significant cost. Oudry, working under royal patronage, reveals a system where artistic labor and materials reflected social hierarchies. How does the depiction of these birds, in this medium, speak to consumption and display? Editor: So, the materials themselves tell a story about the artwork's place in society? That’s fascinating! Curator: Precisely. It shifts our focus from mere representation to the material conditions that enabled its creation.