Portret van Maria Adelheid van Savoye in een ovale lijst 1696

Curator: What strikes me is that it's not just a portrait, but a print. Think about the implications of that in 1696. Editor: This is "Portrait of Maria Adelheid of Savoy in an Oval Frame" made in 1696 by Simon Thomassin. It’s an engraving on paper. It seems quite formal, even regal. I’m interested in the choice of engraving; it’s not a painting. How does that influence our reading of the work? Curator: Precisely. Engravings were reproducible. This wasn’t a unique, singular artwork destined for a palace wall. Prints circulated. Who do you think had access to these images, and what does that tell us about power and representation? Editor: Perhaps a growing middle class? Making royalty more accessible? It’s still a carefully controlled image, though, with that phrase about "approval of the court.” What were they hoping to achieve with this controlled circulation? Curator: Indeed. This image exists because of labor – the engraver, the printer, the paper-maker. These processes determine the accessibility and, to some degree, the meaning itself. It's mass-produced image promoting an elite family. Are these two ideas contradictory? Is that the point? What's your perspective? Editor: I see what you mean! It brings an interesting dynamic to light. Something seemingly unique because it portrays nobility becomes…common through the labor of making multiple copies? It gives us so much more context around status at the time. I appreciate this materialist reading of the print! Curator: Absolutely, recognizing art as labor brings these questions forward, I think. A fascinating intersection, don’t you agree?