Twaalf voorstellingen uit Smolletts Peregrine Pickle 1785

Editor: This print, "Twaalf voorstellingen uit Smolletts Peregrine Pickle," made by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki in 1785, consists of twelve small scenes. What I find immediately striking is the repetitive grid layout and how each panel illustrates what appears to be moments within a story. What do you see in this work? Curator: Well, it's fascinating to consider this through a materialist lens. The mass production of prints like these dramatically changed the way stories were consumed in the late 18th century. Etching and engraving allowed for relatively cheap reproduction and wider circulation than, say, an original painting. It democratized access to narratives, in a way. Editor: So, you’re saying the medium itself had a big impact? Curator: Absolutely. Think about the labor involved. Chodowiecki was a skilled printmaker, part of a larger workshop system. The narrative being depicted becomes secondary to how the plates were manufactured, distributed, and consumed by a growing reading public. The story’s secondary in importance to how stories could now be consumed through material, print, and distribution, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. The act of repeatedly making prints and distributing them widely gave the artist a new level of influence that a painter creating individual works might not have possessed. It changed not only the medium but how the stories themselves reached more of the population. Curator: Precisely. By understanding the material conditions of its creation and distribution, we gain a richer understanding of the print's role in shaping society. It moved from rare art objects to accessible commodities. Editor: I'll definitely remember that - looking at art beyond just its subject matter, considering who had access to it and how it was produced.