Young Boy with a Broad-Brimmed Hat, Reading c. 17th century

Curator: Look at the way the light catches the boy's face. There is a sense of vulnerability, a focused introspection suggested by the act of reading. Editor: And Vaillant’s “Young Boy with a Broad-Brimmed Hat, Reading” appears almost theatrically lit, doesn't it? It’s a relatively small plate, made with mezzotint, yet the dramatic chiaroscuro gives it such presence. Curator: Absolutely. The letter itself is an interesting symbol. Communication was not so instant back then, it was imbued with so much more emotional weight. Who is it from? What secrets does it hold? Editor: I wonder about the accessibility of literacy at the time. How did Vaillant's audience view a young, male reader? What implications did that hold in the context of social mobility or status? Curator: It’s a picture of a moment, of someone absorbed in a private world. It’s a potent reminder of the power of the written word. Editor: Indeed. And it encourages us to consider the social dimensions of both knowledge and representation in art.