Commemoration of the Dead c. 17th century

Editor: This is Jacques Callot's "Commemoration of the Dead," a very small etching. The scene is quite busy, figures rising from what looks like water toward winged beings in the clouds. What strikes me is the labor involved in such a detailed print at this scale. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s fascinating to consider the socio-economic context. Callot was meeting a demand, producing these prints through an involved etching process. The small scale allowed for wider distribution and consumption. What does the mass production of religious imagery imply about faith and labor at the time? Editor: I hadn't considered the economic implications of its size! It really puts the "means of production" into a new light. Thank you! Curator: Indeed, examining the material conditions challenges any romantic notions we might have about artistic creation.