Taste 1774

Editor: This is "Taste" by Jean-Baptiste Le Prince. It’s a small print featuring children being fed, and it feels very intimate, almost like a glimpse into a private moment. What do you see in this piece, with its title “Taste?" Curator: I see echoes of the domestic Madonna, wouldn't you agree? The feeding of children, a primal and universal image, carries immense cultural weight. Consider the evolution of this motif - from religious iconography to genre scenes like this, the act of nurturing remains powerfully symbolic. Editor: So, even a simple scene of children eating can connect us to deeper cultural narratives? Curator: Precisely. The composition, the very lines etched into the plate, speak to a long lineage of representing care and sustenance. It’s a subtle, but potent cultural memory. Editor: That's fascinating. I never would have considered all those layers within such a simple image.