Primary View of the Area of Neufchâtel in Switzerland c. 18th century

Editor: This is "Primary View of the Area of Neuchâtel in Switzerland" by Pierre Jean Duret. It's an etching, and I'm struck by how much texture Duret achieves with simple lines. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The etching reveals a focus on the means of production. The lines themselves, the physical act of carving into the plate, and the resulting prints distributed—all these speak to a specific type of labor and accessibility. Editor: Accessibility? How so? Curator: Etchings allowed for wider distribution than paintings. Think about the market for these images, who bought them, and how they circulated ideas about place and labor. What narratives are constructed around this landscape? Editor: I hadn't considered the social implications of printmaking itself as part of the art. Curator: Exactly. The materials and the methods become integral to understanding the work's cultural significance.