Heilige Vincentius Ferrer (Ferrier) met vleugels en crucifix predikt voor menigte 1748 - 1752

Editor: This etching, made with ink, by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo between 1748 and 1752, is titled *Saint Vincent Ferrer Preaching*. The starkness of the black ink makes it seem severe. The people listening to the saint seem… overwhelmed. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What stands out to me is how Tiepolo used the *process* of etching to create a narrative around Saint Vincent Ferrer. Consider the socio-economic context. Etchings were relatively inexpensive to produce. They served as a means to disseminate religious stories and ideologies to a wider audience. Note how the figures, en masse, are visually brought together through line work indicating clothing of rough material. It shows how the means of production are intrinsically tied to the dissemination of knowledge, religion, and control of materials within 18th-century Venetian society. What do you make of this emphasis? Editor: I see what you mean. So, it’s not just the story itself that matters, but how the etching as a medium made it accessible to people. That makes the choice of etching as the medium particularly important in the grand scheme of material consumption during that time period. So this print isn't *just* about the Saint, but how prints were used and consumed? Curator: Exactly. The labour involved in the etching process, the materials used, and the final distribution – all of these elements underscore the complex relationships between art, labor, and the market. How might this relate to artmaking today? Editor: Wow, that definitely changes my view. I'm thinking more now about how the *making* of art is just as important as its subject matter! Curator: Absolutely. Thinking about art this way reveals it to be a cultural artifact reflecting production methods.