La Fornarina c. 19th century

Editor: This is Luigi Ceroni’s "La Fornarina", at the Harvard Art Museums. The engraving work is so delicate. What strikes me is how the fur and jewelry seem to elevate the sitter above her trade. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Consider the materials involved: paper, ink, the metal plate used for the engraving. Each carries its own history of labor and extraction. Ceroni reproduces an idealized image; what is the process through which the 'baker's daughter' becomes a symbol of beauty, and what consumption patterns are being reinforced here? Editor: That's a great way to put it. Thanks for pointing out these details, I wouldn't have thought about labor and the choice of materials in this context. Curator: Precisely. It is about class and the power of image creation.