Titelprent met profiel van de stad Nancy 1650

Editor: This is "Titelprent met profiel van de stad Nancy," a 1650 engraving by Israel Silvestre, housed in the Rijksmuseum. It feels very formal, almost like a stage set. The cherubs holding up the drapery at the top add a dramatic flair. What strikes you most about this work? Curator: It's fascinating to consider the production of this print. The labor involved in creating this detailed engraving would have been significant. We should think about Silvestre’s tools, his workshop, and how the image circulated, possibly as a commercial product, a piece of propaganda, or even something didactic in purpose. How did the means of production shape the imagery we see before us? Editor: That’s an interesting point. I hadn't considered the "how" as much as the "what." I see the cherubs and the city view, but what can we infer about the societal implications from its materiality? Curator: Think about the engraver's role in representing power. Nancy would have been undergoing constant construction and modification. By producing this image through a reproductive medium, it implies an interest in controlling the perception of this burgeoning centre. Furthermore, engravings such as this were printed, bought and sold – to what extent did that impact upon how such views were conceived of, not simply how they were distributed? Editor: So, it is as much about controlling a specific image as it is about commerce and material consumption, therefore speaking to a wider context than the subject, Nancy itself? Curator: Precisely! By examining the materials, the process, and the distribution of the image, we gain insight into the broader economic, political, and social landscape of 17th-century Europe. How might those elements complicate or confirm what the title suggests? Editor: It's really making me rethink how to view prints, understanding them not just as art, but as products deeply embedded in their time. I think that is very helpful going forward!