Marino Faliero en zijn vrouw 1831 - 1890

Editor: Here we have "Marino Faliero en zijn vrouw," made sometime between 1831 and 1890 by Jean Baptiste Pierre Michiels. It's an engraving on paper, so a print. The image depicts what seems like a vulnerable moment between an elderly man and a younger woman. I'm really struck by how intimate, almost secretive, the scene feels. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s fascinating how this image participates in the 19th-century fascination with history, especially through dramatic, narrative scenes. This print illustrates an episode from Venetian history and a play by Lord Byron of the same name, so consider how art served to popularize historical dramas and even shape public perception of past events. Consider the institution supporting this and others of its type. Who saw these images? Editor: So it was sort of like historical fan fiction in print form, distributed widely? Did Michiels choose this specific moment from the story deliberately, and how does that reflect Romantic ideas about history? Curator: Exactly. It wasn't just about accuracy, it was about emotion and spectacle, and that tells us a lot about the Romantic movement's perspective. Michiels certainly selected a powerful, emotional scene ripe for dramatic interpretation, contributing to an industry. Look at how he positions Faliero with his hands on his head as he anticipates some form of execution or horrible conclusion. What might an audience at the time see in such imagery, thinking of contemporary concerns and social changes? Editor: I hadn't thought about the influence of popular drama. It's interesting to consider how art isn’t made in a vacuum but influenced by things like plays, social ideas and the print market. Thanks! Curator: Yes, thinking about the print's function within a wider cultural context provides so much understanding of its power and meaning, beyond simply the depicted narrative.