The Crossing of the Red Sea 1812

Editor: This is "The Crossing of the Red Sea" by Conte Carlo Lasinio, an etching at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels very theatrical to me. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The etching process itself is significant. Consider the labour involved, the repetitive action of scoring the plate. How does this mechanical reproduction democratize access to religious narratives, making them commodities for consumption? Editor: So it’s less about the miracle, and more about the making? Curator: Precisely. Think about the distribution networks, the workshops that produced these prints. It's a fascinating intersection of faith, labor, and the burgeoning art market. Editor: I never thought about it that way. The process becomes part of the story. Curator: Indeed. The material and its production shape our understanding.