Strawberry Seller of Fratta c. 19th century

Editor: So, this is "Strawberry Seller of Fratta" by G. Dura. I'm curious about what the materials, like the fabric of his clothes and the weave of the baskets, tell us. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see the piece as less about the subject, and more about the conditions of its production. Look at the labor involved. Who harvested the strawberries? Who wove the baskets? Who printed this image and what social structures enabled each of these material productions? Editor: That’s fascinating! I hadn’t considered the larger network of labour. It makes me think about the value we place on both the strawberries and the image itself. Curator: Exactly! By examining the process, we see how intertwined art is with everyday materials and the hands that shape them. It’s all about the conditions of creation and consumption.