François Théodore de Nesmond 1653

Editor: This is Robert Nanteuil's portrait of François Théodore de Nesmond. It's a print, and the textures seem so rich, especially in the fur. What do you notice about the piece? Curator: Considering this portrait, I focus on the printmaking process itself. Nanteuil's skill was in making a reproducible image. Think about the labor involved, the materials, and how this process democratized portraiture. Editor: Democratized? How so? Curator: Before prints, portraits were exclusive to the wealthy. Printmaking allowed for wider distribution and consumption of images. It transformed portraiture into a commodity, shifting its social function. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It’s like early mass production. Curator: Precisely. It challenges our idea of art as purely unique and individual. Editor: That's fascinating. It makes me think differently about the whole art-making process.