De heilige Hieronymus Aemiliani 1734 - 1787

Curator: This is "De heilige Hieronymus Aemiliani," an engraving by Antonio Baratta, dating somewhere between 1734 and 1787. I find it striking how it presents a figure in thoughtful repose. How do you interpret this work? Editor: It is interesting that you used the word repose to describe the character! My first impression was how tactile the objects seemed, especially knowing that the artwork is made by engraving lines on a plate, the material qualities and process have come through somehow... Is that just me, or is there something more going on here? Curator: Absolutely! The linear quality, of course, makes us consider how it was made, but I would also suggest it guides us towards a reading about social and economic forces during its production. Consider the copper plate used in the engraving: it signifies industry and commerce, mass production. Don't you think the medium is deeply intertwined with Baroque aesthetics? Editor: Interesting. So, by using engraving, Baratta’s work reflects the growing availability of images through printmaking, making it accessible to a wider audience than traditional painting. And this access is intrinsically linked to its value, its place in culture and society at the time, correct? Curator: Precisely. How might the figure of Hieronymus, the saint, be contextualized in the printmaking industry, do you think? Editor: Well, I suppose his image, like other religious icons, becomes a commodity circulated within a specific economic framework. It democratizes religious imagery but also subjects it to the logic of production. I now appreciate the work’s engagement with religious history as well as with production and consumption, something I wouldn’t have thought about at first! Curator: Exactly! Considering materiality allows for an interrogation that is at once historical, cultural and artistic.