Portret van Abraham Wiegner 1723

Editor: This is a portrait of Abraham Wiegner by Martin Bernigeroth, created in 1723. It's an engraving, giving it a detailed, almost photographic quality, even though it's from the Baroque period. The level of detail Bernigeroth achieved with engraving is amazing! How would you interpret the image based on its materials and the way it was produced? Curator: As a materialist, I am drawn to how the choice of engraving itself speaks volumes. Consider the labor involved in creating this image through meticulous incising, each line a deliberate act. It was a reproductive medium, meaning these images were created in multiples. The affordability of printed images led to broader audiences for visual culture. How does thinking about its distribution change how you see the portrait? Editor: That makes sense! So, rather than just seeing it as a depiction of a specific person, it's more about the societal function of portraiture at that time? Was it like early advertising or social media? Curator: Partly. The very act of commissioning and disseminating engravings was about manufacturing status, in both Wiegner's and Bernigeroth’s cases. The book in the Pastor's hand; can we view it only as a signifier of intellectual standing? I'd like you to think also about the book as object and technology in its own right, a hand-held means of sharing ideas that enabled Abraham Wiegner's role as communicator and knowledge holder. Do you think the original viewer would have viewed it similarly? Editor: Hmmm...Probably. I was so focused on it being a portrait that I hadn't considered it as an artifact itself that was made through particular production methods, with specific choices made along the way. Curator: Precisely. Looking at art this way forces us to confront questions about access, labor, and how materials shape meaning. It’s about unearthing the hidden narratives embedded in the production and consumption of art. Editor: I hadn't really thought about it that way before. Seeing art through the lens of its materiality opens up a whole new dimension of understanding! Thanks for sharing this viewpoint with me.