Doop van de Spaanse infant 1727

Editor: Here we have Leonard Schenk's engraving, "Baptism of the Spanish Prince," created in 1727. The density of the lines making up the scene are incredible. I am curious, how do you see the relationship between material, making, and the subject represented? Curator: Notice how the fine lines of the engraving create an image of opulence and grandeur. It’s fascinating to consider how this printed image, a multiple, serves to disseminate the spectacle of royal power. Consider the labor involved – the engraver’s skill, the printing process, the distribution of the image itself. Does this reproducibility diminish the perceived aura of the event, or does it amplify its propagandistic reach? Editor: That's a good point! It democratizes access to a royal event, but also potentially cheapens its unique importance. Were engravings like these common? Curator: Absolutely. Prints were a primary means of circulating information and imagery. This particular piece, because it documents a significant dynastic moment, connects the Spanish and Portuguese courts in 1723. The act of creating the print—and circulating it—further cemented this alliance. To analyze it materially shows the artifice behind seemingly objective visual documentation, as the labor creates the reality. What happens to the spectacle when it's filtered through this kind of process? Editor: It sounds like the print functions as both an artwork and as a historical record, shaped by the techniques and distribution networks available at the time. Curator: Precisely. It’s in these processes that we find meaning, understanding that this print wasn't simply documenting history but actively constructing it, shaped by the limitations and possibilities of its material form. Editor: This makes me think about how much intention, artistic or otherwise, can be tied into a work based on just its materials and making. Thanks!