Feeding the Hungry 1581 - 1582

Editor: Here we have Adriaen Collaert's "Feeding the Hungry." It's an engraving, and what strikes me is the depiction of labor, the actual *work* of distributing food. What do you see in terms of its production and social context? Curator: Notice how the printmaking process itself allows for the mass dissemination of this image and its message. Think about the economics of printmaking at that time. Who was the target audience, and what were they consuming, literally and figuratively? Editor: So, it's not just the act of feeding, but the accessibility of the image itself as a form of consumption? Curator: Precisely! Collaert isn’t just showing charity; he’s participating in a market where images themselves become commodities, influencing social behavior and belief.