Det indre af en stue, hvor Bonnet dikterer til sin sekretær 1778

J.F. Clemens created this etching, “The Interior of a Room, Where Bonnet Dictates to his Secretary,” sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At the time, the circulation of knowledge was often a collaboration between intellectual figures and their scribes. Here, we see a moment of knowledge production, laden with the dynamics of class and labor. Bonnet, likely a man of privilege, sits in repose, dictating to his secretary who dutifully records his words. The power dynamics are palpable; Bonnet's relaxed posture contrasts sharply with the secretary's attentive stance. We might consider how class distinctions shaped not only the content of the dictation but also the very act of its transcription. How does the secretary's labor contribute to, or perhaps subtly influence, the creation of knowledge? The setting itself, with its stark light and shadowed corners, suggests a world where knowledge is both illuminated and obscured by social hierarchies. This image, in its quiet way, invites us to consider the labor, seen and unseen, that underpins the intellectual achievements of an era.