Den Bernstoffske landmand 1781 - 1785

Editor: So this etching by Georg Haas, made sometime between 1781 and 1785, is called *Den Bernstoffske landmand*. It shows what appears to be a statue of a farmer on a pedestal. The level of detail given to the bricks makes me wonder what the context might be. What do you make of this print? Curator: Well, the image itself is a product of material processes – etching and engraving. These techniques, involving labor and skill, transform metal plates into matrices for mass production. The inscription on the pedestal clearly connects it to a specific person. Editor: A person, right. Bernstorff. Who was he? Curator: The figure commemorated—likely Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, a statesman who initiated agricultural reforms. What's intriguing is the decision to depict a “landmand” – a common farmer - in a neoclassical style, typically reserved for royalty or the elite. Editor: Interesting. How does the material aspect—being a print—tie into the themes of the work itself? Curator: Think of it this way: Prints democratize imagery. This piece puts a glorified farmer in potentially many hands and homes. It suggests an intent to uplift and popularize agrarian values—maybe even justify the social hierarchy through an idealized, noble portrayal of agricultural labor. What's more, note how the pedestal itself mimics an estate. This creates a connection to tangible labor but elevates a “landmand" into the nobility by using his statue in this estate. Editor: I see. It's not just a portrait, but an object designed to circulate and promote particular social ideas linked to work, production, and the existing social structure. Curator: Precisely. By examining the material means of production, we unveil the artist’s ideological investment. The use of etching and engraving made possible distribution. These images can provide critical insights into 18th century agricultural and class concerns. Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way before, about prints spreading a certain message depending on the medium of material of it all. It gives me a new angle on the subject.