Deel van een gedecoreerde schoorsteenmantel in een huis in Antwerpen, België before 1887

Editor: So, we’re looking at a photograph of “Deel van een gedecoreerde schoorsteenmantel in een huis in Antwerpen, België,” or, “Part of a decorated mantelpiece in a house in Antwerp, Belgium.” It’s dated before 1887, and the materials appear to be a photograph of a marble relief sculpture. The detail is quite impressive, almost overwhelming. What aspects of its materiality strike you? Curator: I'm interested in how this photograph presents a mediation between labor, material, and domestic space. The fireplace represents warmth and social gatherings, and its construction requires both design and sculptural expertise in marble. What were the conditions that led to such craftsmanship? How would those labor conditions have been structured? Editor: That’s a great point. Considering the time period, was marble a common material for middle-class homes or reserved for the elite? And how did the process of photography democratize access to art like this, showing it to people who might never see the original? Curator: Precisely! The materiality of marble signifies wealth and permanence, but the photographic reproduction allowed it to enter different social strata. The printed image allowed access to the artistry, detaching it from its original context. This transition introduces considerations around commodification of craftsmanship in the late 19th century. Editor: So, by circulating this image as a print, are we celebrating the artistry, or perhaps unknowingly contributing to the appropriation of skilled labour? Does the photograph obscure or illuminate the process of creating such intricate detail in marble? Curator: Exactly. This image acts as a document and commodity. Photography abstracts the sculpture from its place of labor and making. Examining images like this through materiality allows us to understand how craft is valued. Editor: I see how thinking about the materials and production changes the way we see the image itself! Thank you for drawing attention to the processes behind the picture.