Allegorie op het ware patriotisme, 1788 1788 - 1790

Editor: This is "Allegorie op het ware patriotisme," or Allegory on True Patriotism, created by Mathias de Sallieth between 1788 and 1790. It’s a mixed-media piece including etching and engraving and it almost feels like two distinct scenes mashed together. What’s your take on it? Curator: What strikes me is the production of this print. It’s not just about the idealized image, but how that image was made accessible. Consider the labor involved: the engraver meticulously carving the image, the printer pulling numerous impressions, the possible addition of watercolor by hand. What does this mass production tell us about the idea of "patriotism" itself? Editor: That's interesting; I hadn't considered the labor involved as part of the message. Curator: Look at the lower part where text is printed, and ask how it could circulate the ideology through relatively accessible materials? Did these readily available printed images shape, in a material way, the viewers' understanding and commitment to patriotism? Editor: So, it’s less about the symbolism and more about how this symbolism was distributed? I guess I’m used to thinking of the artist's original intent, but you're emphasizing the context of its making. Curator: Exactly! It invites us to look beyond the artist’s vision to the wider economic and social forces that shaped its creation and reception. Were there workshops mass-producing similar patriotic imagery? And who were the consumers? Editor: Thinking about it as a manufactured item really changes my perception. It's not just art; it’s also a commodity that had a job to do. Curator: Precisely. It pushes us to think critically about how art functions within a broader system of production and consumption. Editor: This makes me consider the role of prints like these in shaping public opinion back then. I’ll definitely look at art through the lens of production from now on.