Portret van Christian Felix Weisse 1771

Editor: Here we have Johann Friedrich Bause's "Portret van Christian Felix Weisse," an engraving from 1771. It's so precise, almost photographic in its detail, especially given the medium. What stands out to you about it? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the process of its making. Look at the repetitive, almost industrial, quality of the engraved lines. Consider the labor involved in creating this single print, and the means by which it would have been distributed and consumed. Do you see how this portrait, despite depicting an individual, speaks more to broader societal structures of production? Editor: I hadn’t considered it that way. I was more focused on the individual, Christian Felix Weisse. Curator: But what does it mean to represent someone in this manner, using a repeatable, reproducible medium like engraving? It democratizes the image, yet simultaneously fixes him within a rigid framework. Think about the socio-economic implications of readily available images versus unique painted portraits of the aristocracy. The materiality changes everything. Editor: So, you're suggesting that the print, as a multiple, cheapens or, perhaps more accurately, re-values the sitter? It’s about the process, making it available and less about the uniqueness of Weisse himself. Curator: Precisely! The value isn't in Weisse's individual likeness, but in the print's circulation and the power structures that enable and control its production and consumption. Who owned these prints? How were they used? This tells us more about the social landscape than Weisse’s face ever could. Editor: That really changes how I see it. It's not just a portrait, but an object produced within a specific social and economic system. Curator: Indeed. Considering the materiality transforms a seemingly straightforward image into a complex artifact laden with meaning. Editor: I will certainly be thinking about process more often from now on. Thanks!