Two Beggars 1785

Editor: We're looking at "Two Beggars" by Dominique Vivant Denon, an etching and engraving from 1785, currently at the Met. It's a small, kind of unsettling piece depicting two figures who seem down on their luck. What strikes you most about it? Curator: It's crucial to consider Denon’s own social position when analyzing this image. As a nobleman and diplomat, his portrayal of beggars speaks to the social dynamics of pre-revolutionary France. Does this depiction offer a compassionate view, or is it reinforcing existing social hierarchies? Editor: I hadn't thought about Denon's background influencing his subject matter so directly. I guess I assumed the art was sympathetic, but maybe I'm projecting. Curator: The "genre painting" tag highlights the contemporary taste for depictions of everyday life, but whose "everyday" is being represented here? And for what audience? These prints were circulated, consumed. What political and economic forces are at play in the act of creating and viewing this imagery? Editor: So, you’re suggesting it might not be purely observational but could be serving a social function? Perhaps reinforcing the viewer's sense of superiority? Curator: Precisely. And how does the setting, the almost bare landscape, contribute to that narrative? The lack of idealization—do you find that realistic, or merely selectively representing poverty? Consider how institutions like the Met acquire and display such works. What narrative does that placement create? Editor: It really makes me reconsider my initial reaction. I assumed it was simple social commentary, but it's obviously much more complex. I will start to think how socio-political forces and museum impact our view on artworks! Curator: Exactly. Examining the politics of imagery forces us to ask difficult but necessary questions. The conversation never really ends.