The Amateur c. 19th century

Editor: Here we have "The Amateur" by Théophile Victor Desclaux, residing at the Harvard Art Museums. The lithographic print pictures artists in their studio. What’s your take? Curator: Look at the material conditions: the artist's tools, the furnishings, and the studio itself. These reveal a complex system of artistic production and consumption. How might the artist's access to materials affect their work, and what does it say about the art market of the time? Editor: That's a great point. I hadn't considered how the materials and the studio space are crucial to understanding the art itself. Curator: Exactly. Consider how the very labor of artmaking, the physicality of it, is presented here, and what implications that may have. Editor: Thanks. Thinking about art as a product of labor and material conditions gives me a fresh perspective.