Sergel arbejder i sit atelier 1748 - 1831

J.F. Clemens made this print, "Sergel arbejder i sit atelier," using engraving, a process that involves meticulously cutting lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. Here, we see the sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel at work. The statue of a classical figure looms large, an aspirational symbol of high art. But what I find interesting is the glimpse into Sergel's studio, the implied labor, and the tools scattered on the workbench. There's a tension here. Engraving itself is a painstaking, repetitive process, a kind of craft labor. Clemens wasn't just casually sketching; he was deeply involved in the transfer of artistic knowledge. The print invites us to consider the social context of art production in the 18th century, and to acknowledge the labor that underpins even the most seemingly transcendent artistic achievements. It shows how the work and the social circumstances of its making are crucial to understanding art.