Goldsmiths' Drawing Benches 1771

Editor: This is Robert Bénard's "Goldsmiths' Drawing Benches." It looks like a diagram of tools, almost mechanical in its precision. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: It highlights the means of production. Bénard emphasizes the tools, the very materiality of goldsmithing. Consider this not just as a visual document, but as an insight into the labor and processes involved in creating luxury goods. How does this reframing affect your initial perspective? Editor: It makes me think about the goldsmith's skill and labor, all the work hidden behind the finished product. I appreciate it more now! Curator: Exactly! We see the intersection of art, craft, and the socioeconomic realities of its creation.