Sweeping from Top to Bottom 1707 - 1783

Editor: This is Jacques Philippe Le Bas's "Sweeping from Top to Bottom", a print made sometime between 1707 and 1783. It looks like an engraving. The lines are incredible. What catches your eye about this work? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the materiality of the print itself. Consider the copper plate: the physical labor of engraving these fine lines, the consumables of ink and paper necessary for its reproduction and distribution. How does the availability and cost of these materials at the time inform the circulation and reception of this genre scene? Editor: So, you're thinking about the practical side of its creation? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the social context too: Genre scenes became popular during the Baroque period. How does this particular print reflect or perhaps even challenge social hierarchies by depicting everyday life of commoners, rather than idealized portrayals of nobility? Does it sentimentalize poverty or provide some commentary on labour? Editor: That's an interesting point. The children don't look particularly impoverished. They seem engaged and content. Curator: Exactly! Consider then, if this image was reproduced on a broadside. How might the labor of its production been further democratized by being in every household? I think you would then have your real impact... Editor: That really opens up a new way to look at prints. It makes you realize that the materials tell their own story. Curator: Yes, that is very true. Looking past aesthetic and composition towards production unveils a great story!