W. A. Mozart 1858

Curator: This print by Johann August Eduard Mandel depicts W.A. Mozart, and it's currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. It strikes me as a somewhat idealized portrait. Editor: The paper's condition certainly speaks volumes. Its aged texture adds a gravitas to this image, doesn't it? What process was used for this print? Curator: It's an engraving. Consider the labor involved in creating those fine lines to capture the texture of his hair, the set of his jaw. Editor: Absolutely, and this image played a role in constructing Mozart's image. Its circulation would have shaped perceptions of the composer. Curator: These prints were commodities. The skill imbued in their production adds value beyond just representation. Editor: Very true. Seeing it here in a museum now, the work itself becomes a historical artifact, part of an institutional narrative. Curator: Yes, and the physical wear of the paper shows us the passage of time and the labor involved in its making. It humanizes both subject and artist. Editor: I agree. It makes me consider how these images build, and sometimes distort, historical legacies.