The Holy Family with Saint Clare, counterproof 1590 - 1600

Editor: This is "The Holy Family with Saint Clare, counterproof," made by Guido Reni around 1590 to 1600. It’s a print, a drawing really, and the subdued colors create a tender atmosphere. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, first, note it’s a counterproof. This points us directly to the process. A counterproof isn't just a print; it’s a print *of* a print, created by running a freshly printed image through the press again with another sheet of paper. This reverses the image but also softens the lines, muting contrasts, making it less crisp. What does this tell us about Reni’s intentions, considering his labor in producing this? Editor: It makes it feel less like a mass-produced print and more like an individual work of art. Was it about refining the image or was it perhaps about accessibility through affordability? Curator: Exactly. Italian Renaissance workshops often employed printmaking to disseminate images, generating revenue while promoting an artist's style. So the materiality and the mode of reproduction were intrinsically linked to economics. Note the materials, paper and ink were not necessarily precious at that time, therefore relatively inexpensive and readily available. Also note how much fabric drapes over each figure. Editor: The focus on fabrics is interesting. Curator: How would ordinary people engage with fabrics at this time? Was fabric cheap and easy to produce? Or time-consuming and thus considered highly valuable? Remember, art doesn’t exist in a vacuum, these are all clues to consumption and access within the artwork’s time. Editor: I hadn’t thought about the printmaking process itself carrying so much information about production and even the distribution of images back then. Curator: Absolutely, looking at art through its materiality opens up fascinating avenues to understand the culture that produced it. I have to remember that too.