Fanfan 1778

Editor: Here we have Jean-Honoré Fragonard's "Fanfan," an etching from 1778 currently held at the Metropolitan Museum. It depicts a rather chubby child with a toy and a dog. The line work is delicate but there is such volume in the character; he feels three-dimensional. What stands out to you about this print? Curator: I'm drawn to how the work highlights the relationship between artistic production and social class. Etchings like this one weren't just pretty pictures; they were commodities. Prints democratized art, making it accessible to a broader audience beyond the aristocracy. Fragonard was actively participating in a changing art market. Look at the details of the etching technique - it implies labor, the means by which the image is reproduced and distributed. This challenges a solely aesthetic interpretation. Editor: That's fascinating. So you see the work less as a simple depiction of childhood and more as evidence of shifting cultural production? Does the subject matter – a child at play - reflect those shifting attitudes toward consumption? Curator: Exactly! Consider the paper itself: its quality, source, and availability speak to economic systems and trade routes of the time. The Rococo style is all about ornamental excess. Does this aesthetic reflect a growing culture of consumerism that trickles down even to children's toys? Was Fragonard perhaps offering a subtle commentary on this trend? Editor: It's interesting to consider it less as a snapshot and more as a document of material culture. I hadn't thought about it in terms of artistic and social production, before. Curator: Looking closely at the physical processes of creation opens new avenues for interpreting its meaning and broader cultural relevance.