Cart in the Defile c. 17th century

Curator: Allart van Everdingen's "Cart in the Defile" presents us with a glimpse into 17th-century transport and landscape. It is an etching, a printmaking process involving acid and metal plates. Editor: I love the stark contrasts here! The starkness of the medium echoes the rough, unforgiving terrain. It's like you can feel the grit and the struggle in the lines themselves. Curator: Van Everdingen's choice of etching allowed for the dissemination of images, contributing to a broader understanding and appreciation for landscapes. The labor involved in this process highlights a shift in artistic production. Editor: Absolutely! It's the kind of scene that makes you want to invent a whole backstory for the figures. What are they hauling? Where are they going? It almost feels like an allegory. Curator: The print, now housed at the Harvard Art Museums, reminds us how artistic expression is inherently tied to its methods of production, distribution, and consumption. Editor: It's a small world captured in a powerful way. I'll be chewing on that allegory for a while.