Him The Almighty Power Hurled Headlong Flaming from the Eternal Sky 

Editor: So, this is "Him The Almighty Power Hurled Headlong Flaming from the Eternal Sky," an engraving by Gustave Doré. It depicts a chaotic scene of falling angels, and there’s something really dramatic about the use of light and dark. What exactly should we be looking at when we try to really understand an engraving like this? Curator: Well, let’s consider the materiality of the work. An engraving like this relies on highly skilled labor, a mastery of craft and technique. Think about the physical act of creating those intricate lines in the metal plate. And then, consider the means of production. This image was made to be reproduced, disseminated widely in books and other publications, making it very different from a unique painting created in solitude. Editor: So, its distribution is key? Curator: Precisely. This wasn’t about individual artistry in the romantic sense, but a means of conveying a narrative to a large audience. The widespread dissemination impacts how we read it, not just *what* we read in it. Consider its function within a particular social and economic context. Editor: I hadn’t considered it like that; thinking about it just as a piece of Romantic artwork focusing on how the labor intensifies the scene does offer a completely different view on what exactly this engraving communicates to the spectator. Thanks! Curator: Exactly, looking at the materials and modes of distribution offers a way to better understand the production and reception of images, even those that at first seem purely based on imagination.