Daphne fleeing from Apollo, with Cupid overhead 1631

Editor: So, here we have Willem Panneels’ engraving from 1631, "Daphne fleeing from Apollo, with Cupid overhead.” It's a flurry of limbs and panicked energy, though the lines of the engraving are so precise. What's your perspective on this? Curator: Considering this print, I'm drawn to think about the very process of its creation. The labor involved in engraving the copper plate, the distribution of prints – these elements speak volumes about artistic production and consumption in the 17th century. How might the narrative depicted, of mythological transformation, be connected to the material transformation of the copper plate into a print? Editor: That’s fascinating, I hadn’t considered that connection. I was mainly thinking about the story itself and how dramatically Panneels depicts it. Is the choice of engraving significant beyond its reproducibility? Curator: Absolutely. Engraving, as a medium, was deeply enmeshed with both artistry and craft. Think about the skill needed, the specialized tools and workshops involved. Consider how that skilled labor might elevate or challenge conventional hierarchies between art and other forms of artisanal production. Is there a parallel, in the transformation of materials like copper into printed image, with Daphne’s own metamorphosis into a tree? Editor: That makes so much sense! I see the story through a totally new lens now. It's not just about the myth; it’s about the material world and the work that makes it visible. Curator: Precisely. Looking closely at art this way gives us a much broader picture of cultural values. We can examine the means of production and distribution, asking who had access to these images and how they were consumed. Editor: I’ll definitely be looking at art with a more critical eye towards materiality going forward. Thanks! Curator: A pleasure. Examining process and material certainly reveals how meaning is truly made.