July c. 18th century

Editor: This is "July," an engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi. It depicts people relaxing by a river, and it feels very pastoral and classical. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see a commentary on labor and leisure within a socio-political context. The figures bathing and drinking wine represent a privileged class, their leisure made possible by the labor of those toiling in the fields, even though all suffer the heat. Editor: So, you are saying it highlights class divisions? Curator: Precisely. Bartolozzi, working during a period of social upheaval, may be critiquing the inequalities inherent in the agrarian system. How does that reading affect your initial impression? Editor: It shifts my perspective entirely. I initially saw a peaceful scene, but now I recognize the underlying tensions and the suggestion of societal imbalance. Curator: Exactly, and that's how art can prompt us to rethink history and social structures.