Jacob Brown 1834

Editor: Here we have Asher Brown Durand's 1834 engraving of Jacob Brown, currently residing at The Met. The details captured through the printmaking process are quite remarkable, especially considering it's a reproduction. How would you interpret this piece? Curator: As a materialist, my attention is immediately drawn to the labor involved in creating this image. Consider the artist, Durand, reproducing a copy made by Herring, based on a painting by Jarvis – the layers of mediation speak volumes about the economies of image production at the time. The value isn't solely in the artistic genius, but in the collaborative and reproductive labor. How do the materials – the metal plate, the ink, the paper – shape the image and our perception of Brown? Editor: That's interesting. I was initially just thinking about the man in the portrait, and whether Durand captured his essence. So you're saying the artistic labor and materials used are crucial in interpreting this portrait? Curator: Exactly. The engraving process, with its precise lines and the dissemination of printed images, democratized access to portraiture, and this in turn elevated the status of some members of society, reinforcing hierarchies through the very act of representation. Consider the social context: Who was Jacob Brown? And how did the means of production shape his image and legacy? The very process is part of the subject. Editor: I never thought about portraiture that way. So it's less about Brown as an individual and more about how his image circulated through society thanks to these processes. Curator: Precisely. The work of engraving, often overlooked as merely reproductive, played a key role in constructing and perpetuating power structures of that time. Editor: Thanks, I’m looking at it with new eyes now! Curator: And I am too! This piece is just loaded with historical and social content thanks to the tools and method used to construct it.