Portret van Augustus II, koning van Polen 1694 - 1713

Editor: This is "Portret van Augustus II, koning van Polen" by Pieter Schenk, created sometime between 1694 and 1713. It's an engraving on metal, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It feels quite formal, very much in that Baroque style. What jumps out at you when you look at it? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the labor involved in the creation of this engraving. Consider the social context: engravings like this disseminated images of power. Pieter Schenk was essentially working within a system, reproducing and reinforcing Augustus II’s authority through a painstaking process of carving into metal. How does the materiality of metal itself, and the labor involved, speak to the idea of power in this image? Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn’t considered the physical labor aspect so deeply. Does the choice of metal as a medium, and engraving specifically, elevate or democratize the image of the King, or both? Curator: It does both, seemingly paradoxically. Engraving allowed for mass production and distribution, democratizing the image by making it available to a wider audience than, say, a painted portrait. However, the skilled labor and cost of production also imbued the image with a certain prestige, reinforcing the king’s status. Consider also the consumer: who would purchase and display such an image? Their motivations would reveal much about the artwork's social function. Editor: So, the material and the process are inseparable from the message and its reception. It highlights the complex relationships between art, labor, and power during that era. I hadn't thought of art like this, as part of a chain of material production. Curator: Precisely. By focusing on the materiality and the means of production, we can unpack the layers of meaning embedded within this portrait and challenge conventional notions of artistic genius and aesthetic value.