Game, the lottery of 72 1869

Editor: This lithograph by Antonio Bosch, titled "Game, the lottery of 72," was created in 1869. The print shows a grid of 72 little scenes. It looks almost like a game board! I’m intrigued by how dense the imagery is, almost overwhelming. How would you approach interpreting a piece like this? Curator: Considering it as a product of its time, let’s analyze the materiality first. It’s a lithograph, a relatively inexpensive printing process at the time. This allowed for mass production. So, who was the intended consumer, and how did this availability affect its social impact? Editor: It's a lottery game, right? Would this be targeted toward everyday folks, for entertainment? Something almost anyone could purchase, perhaps? Curator: Precisely! The use of printmaking underscores the intention of creating affordable entertainment. This then brings to the foreground questions regarding labor – the artist’s, the printer's, the vendors’– and ultimately consumption. Was it just leisure or something else entirely? Editor: So it's not just about looking at the images, but understanding the industry behind the artwork, how it was produced, and who consumed it. Like, how accessible and widely distributed this lottery game might have been in its time. Curator: Absolutely. And even beyond distribution, think about the act of playing the lottery itself! It’s about risk, chance, and the hopes of a payout. Understanding the materials helps unveil the larger economic and social implications embedded within the art. What can we glean by considering production in relation to class dynamics? Editor: I hadn’t considered that. Thinking about it as an economic artifact really changes my perception. It makes me wonder what other materials can tell me about the society of their time. Curator: Exactly.