Pont de l'Arche c. 19th century

Curator: Let's discuss "Pont de l'Arche" by James Tibbits Willmore, housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels like a daydream, doesn't it? That soft, hazy distance and those figures just lounging… timeless. Curator: Indeed. Willmore was known for his engravings, often after Turner, and this piece likely reflects the rising popularity of landscape prints for the burgeoning middle class. Editor: The way he captures the light is mesmerizing. I'm curious about the labor that goes into such detailed engravings. Did Willmore have a workshop, apprentices? Curator: Most likely he did. Engraving was a craft as much as it was an art, and production demands were considerable. Think of the distribution networks needed to get these prints into homes. Editor: I love the way it captures a moment of leisure against a backdrop of, perhaps, unseen labor and distribution. This piece feels both idyllic and steeped in the economic realities of its time. Curator: Precisely, offering us a window into the social fabric and the circulation of images within it.