Goldsmiths' Anvils and Bickerns 1771

Curator: This print, titled "Goldsmiths' Anvils and Bickerns," presents a collection of tools. I'm struck by their strange, almost alien forms. Editor: Immediately, I see a visual testament to labor. The print highlights the importance of artisanal craft in shaping society, particularly how labor intersects with wealth and status. Curator: Precisely. Look at the range of shapes and sizes, each designed for a specific task in the delicate process of goldsmithing. The print transforms these instruments of labor into objects of visual interest. Editor: Absolutely. And we must consider who would have had access to such tools and the wealth they created. These tools imply a socioeconomic structure—a hierarchy of labor. Curator: Interesting. This reminds us that even seemingly simple images can reveal complex narratives about skill, social status, and the material conditions of artistic production. Editor: Indeed, an image of tools becomes a lens through which we can examine the social and economic realities of a particular time.