Portret van de beeldhouwer Jerôme Duquesnoy 1776

Editor: Here we have Ignatius Joseph van den Berghe's "Portret van de beeldhouwer Jerôme Duquesnoy," created in 1776. It’s an intaglio print, an engraving. It has this almost…sketchbook feel to it, but it's also quite formal. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: I'm drawn to the materiality of this engraving. Think about the labour involved, the sheer number of actions required to create this image. The artist’s hand, guiding the burin across the metal plate, the application of ink, the pressure of the printing press…all to produce multiple, reproducible images. Consider the social context of this process. Editor: So you’re focusing on the production of the piece? Curator: Precisely. It’s not just about Van den Berghe's skill, but the entire system that enabled this image to be disseminated. It begs the question, who had access to these prints and what would their perception be based on how it was created? The engraving attempts to reproduce a drawing by van Dyck – further emphasizing the layers of material processes and mediation involved. What does it mean to copy, to translate, and to reproduce art during this era? Editor: That's interesting, framing it in terms of production rather than just the subject matter. Curator: Absolutely! Think about the intent. Was it simply about documenting Duquesnoy or, perhaps, democratizing access to his image and legacy through reproducible print? Also, how might the social standing of van den Berghe factor into what type of paper and printing press he had access to? Editor: I hadn't really considered all those layers of creation and access before. Seeing it as a product of its time, and the labor that went into it, gives it a whole new dimension. Curator: Exactly! Understanding the means of production allows us to see the print not just as a portrait, but as a commodity embedded in a specific social and economic framework. We can begin to consider the materials, the cultural implications and the modes of its circulation as part of the same art object.