Aesopus schrijft zijn fabels before 1752

Curator: Look at the atmosphere evoked in this 18th-century engraving, “Aesopus schrijft zijn fabels,” or “Aesop Writing his Fables,” created before 1752 by David Coster. It's a very dynamic composition! Editor: My eye immediately goes to the textures created through the printmaking process. You can really see the etched lines build depth and shape. It looks almost rough in certain areas. Curator: Exactly! The imagery shows Aesop, scribe of ancient Greece, amidst a variety of animals. It suggests not just observation of the natural world, but a deeper engagement with symbolism and animal-human connection. The animals almost serve as muses. Editor: Interesting you say that! The image reminds me that prints like these were widely distributed. They weren't necessarily intended for high art consumption, but instead as visual components of popular storytelling. It begs the question of accessibility and who owned prints such as these? Curator: Well, fable traditions transcend borders. The animals often function as stand-ins for human characteristics or social critique. It gives the engraving a certain symbolic universality, like the tales could happen anywhere, with anybody. Notice the peacock! A signifier of pride and vanity perhaps? Editor: Yes! What about the material conditions in which these fables were circulating? How did class dynamics of labor impact distribution, access and readership? Consider the work hours that went into creating it: from the ink production, to the paper mill, to the artist's studio. Curator: You’re right; we need to acknowledge how these types of art works engage with wider socio-economic issues of material value. Editor: By thinking this way, we recognize how printmaking contributed to a culture of dissemination while simultaneously demanding specialized skilled labour. Curator: And that, perhaps, is a moral of a different story altogether. Editor: Indeed, the fables we tell ourselves about art change depending on how closely we look at the world around them.