Elon and Abdon c. 1579

Editor: This is "Elon and Abdon" by Hans Collaert the Elder. It's quite striking. I'm curious about the bright colors and the somewhat flat composition. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: I'm interested in the material conditions of its creation. The printmaking process – the labor involved in etching and the dissemination of images. How did these reproducible images impact social understandings of biblical figures? Editor: So you're focusing on the means of production rather than just the artistic merit? Curator: Exactly. Consider the consumption of these prints. Who purchased them, and how did these images shape their beliefs and daily lives? It challenges the traditional notion of art existing in a vacuum. Editor: I see, thinking about art as a product of its time, embedded in a network of labor and consumption. That’s given me a whole new perspective.