The elephant before 1870

Editor: Here we have a print titled "The Elephant," dating from before 1870 by George Gardner Rockwood. It looks like an engraving, and what strikes me is how it appears within the page of a book alongside text; what story is this print telling us? Curator: Consider the materials and how this image was produced within the context of 19th-century printing. The engraving process itself suggests mass production and dissemination. Is this ‘high art’, or a method of distribution related to science or the public sphere? Does this inform your view of the image's intention? Editor: That's a good question. It definitely doesn't scream "high art." Thinking about it in terms of production and access, its presence in this book suggests a broader reach than a gallery showing, it is almost utilitarian, perhaps illustrating a scientific text about different animal species that are discussed in the book, or about natural history or global trade. Curator: Exactly! The visual object of the elephant serves not just as a representation, but potentially as a tool for understanding Victorian attitudes towards the exotic, colonialism, or even emerging fields like zoology. What might be inferred from its stylized realism against this broader socio-economic background? Editor: That perspective makes me see it differently now. The "realism" isn’t just artistic skill; it reflects a need to classify and document, feeding into Victorian society's engagement with the natural world and, perhaps, even an exertion of control over it. Curator: Precisely. The work’s materiality points to a specific process of production and consumption which ultimately influences our interpretation of its ostensible subject matter. Editor: That's fascinating; by thinking about how the image was made and where it ended up, we uncover new layers of meaning I hadn't considered. Thanks!