Old Shepherd Sitting and Sleeping c. 18th century

Editor: This is Francesco Londonio’s "Old Shepherd Sitting and Sleeping". It’s a simple etching, but there's so much going on. What stands out to you? Curator: Consider the material conditions. The availability of paper, the labor of the etcher, the economy that supported the pastoral genre. It’s not just an image of a shepherd; it’s a product of specific social and economic forces. Editor: So you're saying it's more about the making than the scene itself? Curator: Precisely. This print served a market hungry for idealized rural life, conveniently overlooking the realities of agrarian labor. Who was consuming this image, and what did it represent to them? Editor: That gives me a totally different way of looking at it. Thanks!