View of Bridge and Château of Sainte-Colombe 1800

Editor: This is Jean Jacques de Boissieu's "View of Bridge and Château of Sainte-Colombe," housed right here at the Harvard Art Museums. The level of detail is captivating. What do you make of this piece? Curator: The etching process itself is critical. Note how Boissieu's skill transforms metal into a scene depicting labor, transport, and leisure along the river. The printmaking process democratized images; how did that affect social structures and consumption of art? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't considered the printmaking process as a social force. Curator: Exactly! The materiality and reproduction of the artwork are as important as the image itself. Editor: Thanks for helping me appreciate this work on a new level.