Mrs. Sheridan and Mrs. Tickell 1897

Editor: So, this is Timothy Cole’s “Mrs. Sheridan and Mrs. Tickell,” a wood engraving from 1897, currently held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The figures seem bathed in soft light, but it also feels…flat somehow? Almost like an optical illusion. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: I'm intrigued by Cole's choice to reproduce an existing painting through wood engraving, a process typically associated with mass media. Think about it – he's taking a high-art image, a portrait likely commissioned by wealthy patrons, and making it accessible to a wider audience through print. Why do you think he might have chosen that approach? Editor: That’s interesting, almost a democratizing move? So, by reproducing it as a print, it removes some of the original’s inherent class associations. I also noticed this "tonal art" style gives this image some kind of aesthetic quality close to a photograph, at the dawn of the photograph era! Curator: Exactly! The photographic quality also plays a role. The late 19th century witnessed the rise of photography, which challenged painting's role in capturing likenesses. Cole's engraving enters this conversation, demonstrating the artistic skill involved in translating painted color into a monochrome print, a visual feat of skill. Editor: It is! To think about this cultural background helps understanding what could have been the place and value of this image at that time. I didn't imagine there were so much concepts into play. Thank you! Curator: It's all about looking beyond the surface, and this image definitely encourages deeper historical insight. Thank you too for bringing to the frontstage those interesting visual elements.