42. [title not known] 

Editor: This is an etching by Alexander Cozens, simply titled "42," from the Tate Collections. It depicts a landscape with mountains, trees, and some interesting textures. What's striking is the contrast between the detailed foliage and the almost abstracted mountain. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Consider the paper itself – its sourcing, processing, and availability in Cozens’s time. Etchings allowed for broader distribution. Think about the labor involved in creating the plate, and the social function of landscape prints in 18th-century England. What did these images *do* for their consumers? Editor: So, you're saying it's less about the scenery and more about how this image was made and how it circulated? Curator: Precisely. We gain more insight by understanding the material conditions of its production and consumption. Editor: That gives me a whole new perspective on landscape art. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It is always interesting to consider production to better understand consumption.