Portret van Jean-Baptiste-Gaspard d'Ansse de Villoison 1775 - 1855

Editor: This is a portrait, created sometime between 1775 and 1855, of Jean-Baptiste-Gaspard d'Ansse de Villoison, made by Paul Tassaert. It's a print, an engraving… it feels very formal, almost stark in its simplicity. What do you see in this piece, beyond just a likeness? Curator: I see the meticulous labor inherent in the engraving process itself. The deliberate use of line to create form, shadow, and texture. The economic and social forces that made printmaking a viable means of circulating images and ideas at the time. Consider the paper itself - its production, its cost, its availability - as key to understanding its function. This wasn't simply about aesthetic representation. It was about production, dissemination, and consumption of imagery. Editor: So, it's less about the individual and more about the mechanics of its creation? I guess the engraving, as a multiple, also implies accessibility that a unique painting wouldn’t. Curator: Precisely. And who was accessing these prints? What social strata consumed these images, and how did this form of portraiture influence perceptions of class and status? The act of making multiple originals changed everything about viewership, accessibility and affordability. Think about the engraver, Tassaert - was he a celebrated artist or an anonymous artisan fulfilling a commission? His labour and the means of production, as much as the sitter, demand attention. Editor: That's really fascinating. I never thought about how the very nature of a print could dictate its social impact and purpose. Curator: Reflect on how it departs from other forms of portraiture prevalent at the time. How does the deliberate choice of materials change your experience of the work? Editor: It's definitely made me rethink how I approach understanding art. I will be paying a lot more attention to the medium and means of production from now on!