Smoker 1635 - 1675

Editor: Here we have Jacques Dassonville’s etching, "Smoker," created sometime between 1635 and 1675. The cross-hatching is incredible, it gives a lively mood. The subjects don't seem wealthy, more like simple people and an unadorned interior. What strikes you most when you look at this? Curator: It's fascinating how something as simple as smoking could be immortalized. It also seems rather timeless. While tobacco might not have been so commonplace until the 17th century in Europe, the ritual of smoking signifies community. Think about indigenous cultures in the Americas, where smoking sacred herbs played a vital spiritual role. Does that imagery resonate at all with what you see here? Editor: I suppose. This feels less "spiritual ritual" and more... "daily habit." There is something comical about his puffed-out cheeks! Curator: Ha! Agreed. But perhaps Dassonville is saying more about the nature of addiction, dependence on such habits. Smoking here might be a symbol of our inescapable connection to worldly pleasures or, perhaps, anxieties. In what ways does this connect with our present moment? Editor: I think now, we're more aware of the health risks, so it carries a different weight. I didn't really consider the layers of meaning at first, but seeing how something as common as smoking can represent habit and dependency makes me appreciate the artist's eye and hand in shaping the imagery. Curator: Indeed. We all participate in some shared habit or imagery. That continuity of visual symbol is powerful to see, bridging centuries and customs.