Seated Monkey 16th-17th century

Editor: This is Antonio Tempesta's "Seated Monkey," a tiny 16th or 17th-century etching. The detail is incredible, but I'm curious – what do you see in the way Tempesta made this? Curator: Well, consider the printmaking process itself. It's labor-intensive, demanding skilled craftsmanship. The availability of copper plates and the rise of printmaking workshops are critical to understand its production and circulation. How does this affect the meaning, its value, and its reach to a wider audience? Editor: That's fascinating. So, the meaning isn’t just in the monkey itself, but in how the image was made and distributed? Curator: Precisely. Thinking about the economics of printmaking, the social status of the artisan, and the consumption of these images transforms our understanding of its artistic significance. Editor: I never thought about it that way before. I'll definitely look at art differently now!