Voltaire 1778

Curator: Here we have a portrait of Voltaire, the renowned Enlightenment writer and philosopher, rendered in 1778 by Jean Huber. Editor: It’s… striking. His figure looks incredibly frail, almost spectral. There's something unnerving about the etched lines and starkness. Curator: Indeed. Huber, known for his prints depicting Voltaire, presents him in a somewhat unflattering light, perhaps hinting at the complexities and controversies surrounding the man. The medium itself, ink engraving, lends a sharp, almost clinical quality. Editor: The focus on line is intense. It highlights every wrinkle, every fold in his opulent clothing. It draws your attention to the way luxury itself seems to fail him somehow; like those garments should guarantee a vitality that isn't there. Was this image intended for popular consumption, to be circulated widely? Curator: Precisely! Prints like these were vital for disseminating images and ideas in the 18th century. Voltaire was a celebrity, and prints allowed a wider public to access and engage with his image, fostering public discourse and shaping perceptions of him. This speaks volumes about the era’s relationship with public figures and how imagery could be wielded as a political tool. Editor: It's compelling how a seemingly straightforward portrait reveals layers of social commentary when we look at the materials and their deployment. This engraving reduces a complex man and his social position down to its bare lines and the effects achieved using the very accessible and replicable technique of printmaking. A very democratic exercise! It is so matter-of-fact about an incredibly charged historical moment. Curator: Yes, Huber was certainly imbuing a charge, depicting Voltaire’s legacy through these circulating images. They invited scrutiny and debate among the public sphere, effectively participating in crafting that legacy. Editor: Looking closely, one can see signs that these aren’t simple marks either, some lines vary greatly in their intensity as though varying in weight according to a very specific set of actions, I feel as if a hand made them… or guided the machines! It really gets you thinking about labour. Well, I think it provides much more than merely a likeness; a time capsule capturing an epoch in its relationship to celebrity. Curator: A truly salient point, I hadn't thought of the "time capsule" effect that strongly but on reflection I wholeheartedly concur. Thank you for that insight.