The Virgin with the Pear 1520

Editor: This is Sebald Beham's "The Virgin with the Pear," a small engraving. The detail is incredible, especially in the Virgin's draped clothing. What strikes you about this work? Curator: I’m interested in the economic factors influencing the printmaking process at the time. Consider Beham's workshop: Who were the laborers? What tools did they use? How would the economics of print distribution impact Beham's art? Editor: That's fascinating; I hadn't considered the printmaking process itself. Curator: Thinking about these factors shifts our focus from solely artistic vision to the material conditions of art production. It allows us to rethink value and creation itself.