Self-Portrait (The Trade Card of Anthoine Jacquard) 

Curator: Let's discuss this remarkable print, "Self-Portrait (The Trade Card of Anthoine Jacquard)." We see Jacquard depicted within a decorative oval frame. What strikes you first about it? Editor: The texture! The incredible detail achieved through engraving. It feels so tactile; I want to examine the chainmail and feel the paper stock itself. There’s almost a sculptural quality. Curator: Precisely! Jacquard presents himself here, quite theatrically I think, armed and armored. The surrounding ornamentation gives further insight, particularly if we examine what’s literally underlying him, right? Editor: Yes, down below, we see these figures engaged in what looks like weaponry production. Look at the laborers meticulously at work. There's this interesting interplay between his noble self-image and the industrial effort required to make that image, literally and figuratively, possible. Curator: Absolutely. This reveals the complex interdependencies and societal structures at play. His posed confidence relies entirely on those at labor under him, calling into question the politics inherent within such a self-portrait. There's a real tension here. Editor: And beyond that, what material histories and technological advancements enable this trade card to circulate in the first place? It raises questions of production and access. It allows more public access to a grand presentation. It democratizes imagery, of sorts. Curator: Democratizes, yet still deeply rooted in a hierarchical system. He’s literally placing himself above these laborers while using their very work to self-aggrandize! This artwork presents us with an argument of personal identity. What does it really take to perform a concept such as identity? Editor: Right, even down to the feather in his cap—where did the materials originate? What were the labor conditions in their extraction and manufacturing? It pushes us to investigate how seemingly simple adornments speak volumes. Curator: Such critical attention brings valuable perspective! His pose isn't just vanity but a performance built on multifaceted power dynamics, labor, and access. It underscores that all self-fashioning has social, political, and historical weight. Editor: Looking closer reveals not just surfaces and forms but networks of connection, modes of working, and distributions of power. That changes everything.