Portret van Nuno Álvares Pereira, in habijt 1722

Editor: Here we have Bernard Picart's 1722 engraving, "Portret van Nuno Álvares Pereira, in habijt," at the Rijksmuseum. The figure has this profound solemnity; it's echoed by the objects around him: a crucifix and a framed image of Mary. What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: Well, for me, the real story here lies in the process. Look closely at the engraving technique; the labor involved in creating those fine lines to replicate such texture! Consider the social context: prints like these weren't just art objects. They were commodities, produced and consumed, circulating images and ideas widely. It served as propaganda and dissemination. Editor: I see what you mean. I was initially focused on the spiritual elements, but thinking about it as a mass-produced object changes things. Curator: Exactly! It makes you think about the systems that allowed it to be made – the patronage, the distribution networks, the access to materials, and the skills acquired by Picart. How does this challenge the boundaries we traditionally set between high art and, say, craft or even propaganda? Editor: So it's not just about *who* is depicted, but *how* and *why* this image was produced and circulated that gives it meaning? The economic background of art production in early eighteenth century... Curator: Precisely. Look at how the lines create shadows and highlights, consider the kind of labor necessary. The texture and value! It's really an index of both piety *and* industry, right? What can we say then, of this marriage of craft, materiality, devotion and commercial viability in the making of art? Editor: Thinking about this piece as an object with production history gives me a whole new perspective. Thanks! Curator: And looking at it in this light has shifted my view as well. A fruitful way to consider the material conditions that inform art making!