Small Farm, Saint-Tropez (Petite ferme a Saint-Tropez) 1937

Curator: Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac’s 1937 etching, "Small Farm, Saint-Tropez", is before us—what's your first impression? Editor: The hatching creates a gentle rhythm across the paper, it has the stillness of midday on a hot day in late summer. It almost feels photographic in its realism. Curator: Absolutely, there's a kind of relaxed intimacy here. Segonzac, of course, was known for his landscapes, particularly his ability to capture the nuances of light, wasn't he? As an Intaglio print, its execution emphasizes line quality as a kind of shorthand, like quick gestures rendered in ink. Editor: Definitely. And consider that this is an etching: each line, carefully bitten into the metal, then inked and pressed. Think about the physical act, the labor, of producing that plate. It’s about more than just the depicted "landscape," isn't it? It becomes a study of process and materials, revealing the mechanics of artistic creation itself. Curator: I like the way you've put that. Beyond that, to me, Segonzac gets into that perfect emotional frequency with the landscape— the scene hums and breathes. Those distant mountains, that body of water in the distance and that farmhouse, like a stage set for something that might have been. It speaks to me, this idea of something deeply personal and profoundly universal—would you agree? Editor: Agreed. Plus, consider the implications. A limited-edition print elevates a scene of rural labor into an art object. Where does labor fit in this landscape? What do you make of the decision to immortalize this scene with this specific printing process? Does this transform a mundane, banal depiction of the local working population into an art object and investment? Curator: Perhaps. Art-making can have such slippery effects! All this said, I suppose one could even get into art and commerce itself! This work might even show me something different next time I see it. Editor: Precisely. I wonder what other kinds of conversation around production and class we can have with this etching in the future...