Vignet med to engle 1741 - 1743

Editor: This is an engraving from the 1740s titled "Vignet med to engle," or "Vignette with Two Angels," of anonymous origin, held at the SMK. The ethereal feel makes me curious about the world it evokes. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Looking at it materialistically, consider the copperplate engraving technique itself. This wasn't mass production; each print involved skilled labor, from the engraver to the printer. The very lines were carved by hand! The subject, cherubic figures holding a wreath above an empty cartouche, seems to imply allegory. What role does ornament and allegory play? What narratives or purposes did this elaborate image originally serve? Was this purely for aesthetic enjoyment, or something else? Editor: The detail is really striking. Knowing that it was all hand-carved does change how I see it. Curator: Exactly. Now, think about who consumed this image and its intended audience. Was it the Church, private collections, or commercial purposes? Who was it meant for and in what setting would it have been viewed? Considering materiality invites one to wonder whether we're only looking at high art, or if we should also regard it through labor and commerce in society. Editor: So it's not just about the surface image of angels, but about the social and economic realities of making it? Curator: Precisely. How does the context in which it was produced, where resources were consumed to construct these works, play a role in the meaning of the work? Editor: That’s given me a lot to think about. The angels now seem like they might symbolize not just purity or holiness but also represent a social role. Curator: Indeed. It encourages us to question not only our relationship with the aesthetic qualities, but how such ornamentation relates to consumption and cultural value.