The Tuileries Garden 1675 - 1685

Curator: This is Adam Perelle’s "The Tuileries Garden," dating roughly between 1675 and 1685. It’s currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: What strikes me is the incredibly detailed rendering of the garden. The scale feels immense, especially considering the intricate work done in engraving. It really does feel like an idealized, and imposing landscape. How do you read this piece? Curator: For me, it's compelling to consider the production of this image. It’s not simply a representation, but a manufactured object reflecting the power dynamics of its time. Think of the engraver's labor to produce such a precise image, the materials used – the copperplate, the inks, the paper. And the patronage, without which the work would never exist. This engraving reproduces an idealized space designed by Andre Le Notre and commissioned by the King. It circulated the King’s authority far beyond the garden itself. Editor: That makes sense. So you’re suggesting that the print, as an object, serves as a form of propaganda? Curator: Precisely. Consider the precise geometry and the manicured nature; even this "natural" space is a testament to human control and specifically, the king’s control and money. The image itself becomes a commodity, reproducing that sense of power and order for a wider audience through print culture. Editor: So even the artistic choices, like the elevated perspective, emphasize control and ownership over the landscape and the people within it. I didn't see it as explicitly before you mentioned that. Thank you. Curator: And by examining the materials and methods used in its creation and dissemination, we get a clearer picture of the values and social structures of the era. We move beyond appreciating ‘beauty’ alone and instead are examining making. Editor: Absolutely. Now I’m seeing the piece as not just a pretty garden, but as evidence of complex economic and social relationships at play. It all leads back to how things were manufactured, circulated, and consumed. Curator: Precisely, examining the image in light of that brings forth richer perspectives.