['Yale School of the fine arts', 'Peabody Museum'] before 1882

This photogravure print by James Notman shows the Yale School of Fine Arts and Peabody Museum. Photogravure is a process that etches an image into a copper plate, which is then inked and printed onto paper. The rich tonal range is achieved through careful control of the etching process. The final print is a result of the labor-intensive, highly skilled work of photographers, engravers, and printers. The Yale School of Fine Arts and the Peabody Museum represented here were conceived to cultivate taste, and appreciation for the fine arts. In this period, art institutions were linked to social status and the cultivation of taste among the upper classes, yet the prints themselves were affordable. These kinds of images offered a way for a wider audience to access and appreciate art and architecture. This print represents the convergence of artistic skill, industrial production, and the social aspirations of the late 19th century. It demonstrates the value of understanding materials, making, and context, and challenges traditional boundaries between fine art and everyday life.