The Entombment of Christ 1817

Editor: This is "The Entombment of Christ" by Ignazio Bonajuti, from 1817. It's an engraving. I’m struck by how smooth the figures look given it's a print. It’s incredibly detailed. What stands out to you? Curator: What I find compelling is thinking about the labour involved in producing this print. Consider the engraver, meticulously translating an image onto a metal plate. Each line, each shade, carefully etched through manual effort. How does the process itself shape the final image? Editor: So, the physicality of making it? Curator: Precisely! And not just Bonajuti's labor. Prints like these were often commissioned – who was the patron and what was their socio-economic context? The inscription below seems like some kind of dedication. Who was this print intended for, and how would its circulation affect the original image’s message? Was this a reproductive print, used for broader dissemination? Editor: I hadn't thought about who it was for, just about the artistic skill. You mean how the materials and methods are tied into its meaning? Curator: Yes! Think about the intended audience, the workshops where such prints were made, and how the availability of this image changed its perceived value. Was it trying to emulate painting? Why choose printmaking as a method of production? Editor: That gives me a lot to consider about prints beyond just thinking of them as copies. Curator: Exactly! Considering production alongside aesthetics reframes our understanding of art. Editor: I’ll definitely look at engravings differently now, understanding the labor that goes into their making and circulation.