Phineus en zijn volgelingen in steen veranderd 1651

Editor: This engraving by Michel Dorigny from 1651, "Phineus and his followers turned to stone," depicts a chaotic scene. It feels very dramatic, like a theatrical performance frozen in time. What are your thoughts on this engraving? Curator: I find it interesting to consider the social and material conditions that gave rise to engravings like these. How would an image like this have been produced, circulated, and consumed in 17th century Europe? The engraving is not merely a window onto a classical myth; it's a manufactured object whose production relied on skilled labor and particular economic systems. Editor: That’s an interesting point. I hadn’t really thought about who actually made these and how widely they were shared back then. Do you think the choice of engraving, as a medium, affected how the story was received? Curator: Absolutely. Engraving allowed for the mass production and dissemination of images, making classical stories accessible to a broader audience. It challenges this divide, right? Is it “high art” like a painting? Or is it more closely related to a craft form of dissemination? Editor: I see. So it’s not just the myth being presented, but also the implications of the material and the way it spread, like an early form of social media in a way! Curator: Exactly! It's crucial to consider how the production and consumption of this image reflect the socio-economic conditions of the time, challenging traditional notions of art as solely aesthetic expression. Editor: Thanks, I hadn't considered the role of the medium and production itself. Curator: Paying attention to the labor and the materiality behind it provides us a deeper appreciation of not just the story, but also how it was delivered and its purpose at the time.