Midas, Transmuting All, Into Paper c. 1797

Editor: Here we have James Gillray’s etching, "Midas, Transmuting All, Into Paper," from around 1797. It's quite the scene! Midas, looking rather unwell, stands astride the "Bank of England," and money seems to be spewing from his mouth. It makes me think about how power corrupts. What do you see in it? Curator: I focus on the production of this image itself. It’s an etching, a *print* – a means of mass production in its day. Think about the context: this was created during a period of immense social and economic upheaval. Gillray, using etching techniques, transforms myth and contemporary events into something readily consumable by a wide audience. It reflects the anxieties around the shift from tangible wealth, like gold, to representational wealth, like paper money. Notice how Midas's body itself appears like a locked vault – what labor does he perform? He regurgitates money, no longer having use for any labor at all, which leads to further corruption. Editor: So, it's less about the individual Midas, and more about what he represents in terms of economic systems and the distribution, or perhaps, the over-production, of wealth? Curator: Precisely. Consider the choice of etching. It's reproducible. This image could circulate widely, fueling public discourse and potentially dissent. It implicates viewers in a conversation about the material basis of power, forcing us to think about where wealth truly resides and at whose expense it is accumulated. Editor: I hadn’t considered how the medium itself reinforces the message about accessibility and, perhaps, a critique of unchecked production. It definitely provides a richer understanding. Curator: The way artists utilize the resources they have speaks volumes. Hopefully, this inspires all of us to question assumptions about how meaning comes to be.