Thirteen Studies 1770

Editor: This is Jean Jacques de Boissieu's "Thirteen Studies", held at the Harvard Art Museums. I’m drawn to the variety of the figures depicted, and how they seem to emerge from the paper itself. What can you tell me about this etching? Curator: Look closely at the lines, the textures he creates. Boissieu's process is key: etching, a form of printmaking, allows for reproducibility and wider distribution. Consider how this affects the value and accessibility of art. Was he elevating craft, or simply responding to market demands? Editor: So, it's less about the individual faces and more about how the image came into being and its place in society? I hadn't considered that. Curator: Exactly! Think about the labor involved, the materials used, and who would have consumed these images. That’s the real story here.