Man met baard en borstelige wenkbrauwen 1771 - 1774

Editor: So here we have "Man met baard en borstelige wenkbrauwen" - or, "Man with beard and bushy eyebrows"- created between 1771 and 1774 by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo. It’s an etching, giving it this really detailed, almost scratchy texture. What do you make of the process and the overall result? Curator: The act of etching, a relatively accessible printmaking process, is key here. Tiepolo's choice speaks to the expanding art market and a growing demand for replicable images. It shifts our focus from unique, high-value paintings to more widely distributed, arguably democratic, forms. Notice how the lines, almost crude in their accumulation, prioritize volume and texture. Editor: Democratic in what way? Because the material is easily distributed? Curator: Exactly! Etchings could be produced in multiples and sold at a lower price point, reaching a different segment of society compared to, say, a commissioned portrait. The labor involved in creating the plate – the repetitive act of scratching the image – also speaks volumes about artistic production at this time. It pulls the artistry away from only the visual creation of the picture, to include also the craft required to recreate the same scene many times. What are your thoughts on how the man is portrayed within this context? Editor: That’s interesting! The lines themselves do feel very deliberate. I hadn’t considered that the medium choice itself could be so meaningful. Before this I was really focused on thinking of it as just a quick character study of this anonymous, older model, almost in passing. Now it feels less quick, more considered in production than I originally saw. Curator: Right. The material execution influences meaning. I would emphasize, it's also important to reflect on labor in this context of printmaking, how it reshapes not only the distribution of imagery, but our understanding of artistic creation itself. Editor: This definitely gave me some new perspective. Thank you!