Illustration to the Adventures of Telemachus c. 18th century

Editor: This is Louis Surugue's Illustration to the Adventures of Telemachus. The printmaking is fascinating, so detailed! What strikes me is how it depicts leisure and labor in the temple; what do you see in this piece? Curator: I see an excellent example of how labor and leisure were presented to a consumer audience. The printmaking process itself is laborious, but it allows for the mass production and consumption of imagery depicting opulent leisure. Note the sharp contrast between Telemachus, the man of action, and the indolent inhabitants of Venus’s temple. Do you see how this commentary on consumption is reinforced by the medium itself? Editor: That’s a fantastic point! The means of production directly comment on the content. I hadn't considered the role of mass production here. Curator: Exactly, and think about the social context – who was buying these prints, and what did they want to see represented? Editor: Right, the printing, the consumption, and the values represented are all deeply intertwined. Thanks for pointing that out.