Titelprent Divertimenti c. 1650 - 1691

Editor: Here we have Lieven Mehus' "Titelprent Divertimenti," an engraving from around 1650 to 1691. There's so much detail crammed into this small space, it’s a feast for the eyes! The crisp lines of the engraving create a very formal and classical scene. What stands out to you in terms of its impact? Curator: What immediately captures my attention is the physical act behind the creation of this engraving. Consider the engraver, meticulously using tools to carve these incredibly detailed lines into a copper plate. The labour! And think about the social context: prints like this allowed for the wider circulation of images and ideas in the 17th century. Who was consuming this, and where? Was this considered 'high art' or more of a functional object? Editor: That’s interesting! I was focusing on the image itself. The use of classical motifs like the columns, garlands, and mythological figures. Curator: But consider why those motifs were chosen and who could afford such art. Was it made accessible because it was printed, thus shared, or did this affect its artistic merit and make it “lesser than” due to mass production? Editor: I hadn’t really considered it in terms of production value versus artistic vision. How the process of reproduction itself changes the way we perceive it. Curator: Exactly! And thinking about materiality: copper, ink, paper – these were valuable resources. It reveals a network of labour, trade and consumption far beyond the immediate image. Every artistic choice relates to resources. The artist could make other, cheaper choices and change how it would be perceived by the masses. Editor: So by examining the materials and their social context, we can see a whole new layer of meaning in what seems like a straightforward Baroque image. That’s quite a different approach than I usually take. Curator: It shifts your perception of the artist’s intention.