The Difficult Confession 1787

Editor: This is Jean François Janinet’s “The Difficult Confession.” It's interesting how much detail there is in the clothing of these two women, and in the texture of the room. What stands out to you about how it was made? Curator: The aquatint process is fascinating here. Think about the labor involved in creating the granular surface on the plate, allowing for those subtle tonal gradations. Consider the social context: this print circulated among a rising middle class eager to consume images of aristocratic life. Editor: So, the *process* of making it allowed more people to access it? Curator: Precisely. The print medium democratized the image, making it a commodity. The "difficult confession" becomes a spectacle, consumed by a wider audience. What does that say about the role of art in shaping social values, and the way in which images were material goods? Editor: That's a lot to think about. It's amazing how the materials and the process itself connect to such wider social implications.