N. Chrystin c. 17th century

Editor: This is a portrait print of N. Chrystin by Jean Morin. The way the sitter’s shawl is rendered is incredibly tactile. What can you tell me about the process that went into making this print? Curator: Well, consider the labor involved. The engraver’s painstaking work of incising lines on the metal plate to create the image. Think about the access to materials – the copper, the inks, the paper. How does the availability of these materials and skills shape the artwork itself and its consumption? Editor: That's interesting, considering that printmaking democratized artmaking in a way. Curator: Exactly. This challenges the traditional hierarchy between painting and printmaking, high art and craft. I'm now thinking about the print's function within 17th-century society! Editor: I hadn't considered the social context so deeply. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. It's a great example of how the means of production shape our understanding of art.