Franz Liszt 

Editor: Here we have a drawing of Franz Liszt by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. It looks to be charcoal and pencil on paper, and it gives such a sense of immediacy. What strikes you when you look at this work? Curator: The most interesting aspect to me is Ingres’s choice of materials. He's working in pencil and charcoal, traditionally seen as preparatory tools for grand oil paintings. But here, they are the final product. This elevation of drawing as a finished form speaks volumes. Editor: So you're saying Ingres is making a statement about the value of drawing itself? Curator: Exactly! Consider the economic and social context. Portraiture was often commissioned by the wealthy. But a drawing like this is less expensive, more accessible, and quicker to produce. Is Ingres subtly democratizing portraiture through his choice of a more readily available medium, and challenging the high-art world through its materiality? Editor: That's a fascinating perspective. It makes me wonder about the labour involved – both Ingres's labor as an artist, and the labor implied in making and distributing these drawing materials. It wasn't just magic that put charcoal and paper in his hands! Curator: Precisely. How do the production of the materials impact your reading of the finished art object? What does it tell you that paper and pencil are accessible media and were increasingly prevalent due to mass production during the period? Editor: I never thought of it that way before! It highlights how Ingres' choice really was deliberate and clever, reflecting his world and pushing back against established hierarchies, materially. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, tracing the means of production reshapes how we appreciate and value the final artistic product!