Mary, Queen of Scots distributing her possessions to her friends before her death (from "Histoire de France") 1831 - 1865

Alfred Revel made this print, "Mary, Queen of Scots distributing her possessions to her friends before her death," using a metal plate, likely copper or steel. An engraver meticulously incised lines into the metal, creating a matrix that could be inked and pressed onto paper, allowing for mass production. The fine lines and shading, achieved through techniques like hatching and stippling, give the image a delicate, almost ethereal quality. Prints like this one, from "Histoire de France," served as a means of disseminating historical narratives and reinforcing national identity. The availability of such images contributed to the growing culture of print media and visual literacy in the 19th century. But let's also consider what the image depicts. This act of distributing belongings is not merely one of personal sentiment, but a final gesture of power, deploying material goods as a symbolic act on the threshold of death. Revel's print connects the labor of image making to the material culture of monarchy. It allows us to consider the intersection of politics, economics, and artistic production.