Woman Telling Beads and Boy Counting Money 1743

Editor: This is Giovanni Cattini's "Woman Telling Beads and Boy Counting Money." The etching seems to explore the relationship between labor, spirituality, and perhaps even social class. How does the materiality of the print itself influence our understanding? Curator: The print medium allowed for wider distribution, democratizing images of piety and labor. Consider the etching technique: the repetitive, skilled labor mirrors the actions depicted, and asks us to consider the value of repetitive tasks. Editor: That’s fascinating. So, the means of production comment on the subject matter? Curator: Precisely. What does the act of printing itself tell us about the accessibility and consumption of these themes in Cattini's time? Editor: I see a deeper connection between the artwork and the society it was created for. Thanks!