New Year Card 1923

Editor: This is Lucien Pissarro's "New Year Card" from the Tate Collections, a charming little print. The stark black and white gives it a graphic quality, almost like a woodcut illustration from a storybook. What stands out to you? Curator: Let's consider the labor involved. This wood engraving, though small, demanded meticulous skill. Think about the tools Pissarro used, the physical act of carving, the consumption of materials. Is this "high art," or a craft object? Editor: That's a good question. Does the "New Year Card" format suggest it was made for wider circulation? Curator: Exactly! Were these cards distributed amongst a select, wealthy clientele, or were they intended for broader social reach? The means of production dictate its potential audience, and therefore, its social impact. Editor: So, analyzing the process opens up questions about its intended function and social context. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, it's through examining the materials and means that we can understand the work’s relationship to its society.