Matthew Clark’s Crime, 1721 

Editor: Here we have Samuel Wale's "Matthew Clark's Crime, 1721." It depicts a domestic scene, maybe a kitchen. The title gives it a narrative feel, but what kind of crime are we talking about? What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see an illustration deeply embedded in the material conditions of its production and consumption. Consider the labor involved in producing the clothing, the domestic space, and the very print itself. Who was the audience for such imagery, and what social narratives were being reinforced through its depiction of, presumably, class and transgression? Editor: So, it's not just about the kiss, but the social structure that frames it? Curator: Precisely. The "crime" becomes less about the act itself and more about its placement within a system of power and economic exchange. What's being traded, and at what cost? Editor: That gives me a whole new perspective. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Art's materials always tell a story.