The Rape of the Sabine Women c. 1770

Editor: This oil painting, "The Rape of the Sabine Women," from around 1770, really explodes off the canvas with chaos and movement. It definitely depicts… well, a lot of violence! What stands out to you when you look at this? Curator: Immediately, I consider the social context in which this piece was made. We have to ask ourselves, who was consuming art that depicted such forceful interactions? What did the production and distribution of an image like this communicate about gender roles and the acceptability of violence against women during this period? Editor: That’s a heavy question to start with, but a valid one. But even forgetting the content, the painter clearly spent time layering paint to create such dramatic movement. Curator: Precisely. We should examine the materials used – the pigments available at the time, the types of brushes, the canvas itself. How did the materiality influence the final product, and how did that impact the reception? The way he layers paints contributes to the high drama we are both perceiving, for instance. Editor: You are right. Was art during this time often considered more craft or were artists even then beginning to see themselves differently from artisans? Curator: Good question. The production of such large history paintings involved workshops, assistants, and often a division of labor, similar to craft production. At the same time, artists like this one aimed to elevate themselves beyond mere craftspeople through the intellectual and emotional impact of their works, and aimed at acceptance into elite social and intellectual circles through academies. How can we read this tension between craft and fine art here? Editor: That's fascinating, thinking about it less as high art, and more about the business that allowed paintings like this to be created, viewed, and have significance. I never really considered art in those production terms. Curator: Exactly. Understanding the process, the materials, the economic structures, that informs a whole new way to understand art of this time!