O Heaven, protector of virtue, I touch a land of liberty! c. 18th century

Editor: This print, whose title translates to "O Heaven, protector of virtue, I touch a land of liberty!" is by Jean Baptiste Michel Dupréel. I'm struck by the almost theatrical pose of the man kneeling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The print reveals a great deal about the material conditions and ideologies circulating at the time. Consider the paper, likely handmade, and the printmaking process itself - etching, a meticulous labor. The emphasis on "liberty" also suggests a critique of existing power structures and the circulation of those ideas through printed images like this one. What does liberty mean when only some can access it? Editor: So, it's not just about the image, but also the physical creation and its place in society. I hadn't considered that. Curator: Exactly. Materiality shapes meaning.