Fresco of the Vatican Loggia c. 19th century

Editor: This is Conte Carlo Lasinio's Fresco of the Vatican Loggia, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. It looks like a highly detailed engraving depicting two panels. What aspects of the materials and production stand out to you? Curator: The print’s material existence is intriguing. Engravings like this were essentially reproductive technologies. How did the production and circulation of these images affect the perception and consumption of art at the time? Editor: That’s a great point. It democratized art, didn’t it? But what about the actual fresco it depicts? Curator: Exactly. We must remember this isn't the fresco itself. The print acts as a commodity, divorced from the original's context and labor. The act of engraving transforms the fresco into a portable, reproducible item. Editor: So, it shifts the focus from the artistic skill of the fresco painter to the engraver and the printing process itself? Curator: Precisely. It raises questions about originality, value, and accessibility within art history. I will never look at a print the same way again.