June 16th-17th century

Editor: Here we have Aegidius Sadeler II's engraving, "June." It's a detailed landscape bustling with activity, but the foreground figures, they seem almost weighed down by labor. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: The engraving process itself is key. Consider the skilled labor involved in producing these intricate lines, allowing for the mass dissemination of images. Note how this print flattens hierarchies, placing rural labor alongside idealized landscape. What kind of consumer would have purchased this? Editor: Someone affluent, perhaps? Curator: Exactly. The image presents labor, but primarily as a consumable image. How does this change our understanding of labor and landscape? Editor: So it's not just a depiction of work, but also a commodity *about* work. Thank you.