engraving
allegory
baroque
history-painting
engraving
Dimensions height 227 mm, width 180 mm
Editor: So, this engraving is called "Personification of Africa" by Jacob Gole, made sometime between 1670 and 1724. It depicts a woman richly dressed with what appears to be a scene from Africa in the background. The woman is literally wearing signifiers of wealth; what interests me is how that is visualized. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: What intrigues me most is the interplay of materials presented and the means of production. This is an engraving, so we’re dealing with a matrix, ink, and paper. Think about what it means to depict "Africa" through these European-produced materials, aimed at a European audience. How does the materiality of the image shape the message? Editor: I see what you mean. The print itself is a commodity, depicting a concept – Africa – which at the time, was also being commodified through trade and colonialism. Is the artist perhaps making a commentary on consumption? Curator: Precisely! Consider the fashion and adornments on the woman representing Africa. They’re meticulously rendered, showcasing the skill of the engraver. But whose wealth are we actually admiring here? And from what resources was that wealth extracted? This is labor rendered as luxurious appearance, raising questions of trade, power, and representation through the lens of materials. The artist is emphasizing these elements by placing the figure of Africa beside the landscape where resources come from, making both an allegorical figure and material for consumption. Editor: That’s a really powerful point. Looking at it that way, it's not just a portrait but an artifact loaded with the socio-economic context of the time, materialized in the paper and ink. Curator: Exactly. We are looking at more than an image; we're looking at a carefully constructed representation manufactured within a very specific historical and material reality. Editor: Thank you! It's amazing how focusing on the materiality opens up so many layers of meaning in the work.
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