Siege of the Citadel of Saint-Martin on L'Ile de Re (lower center) c. 17th century

Editor: This is Jacques Callot’s etching, "Siege of the Citadel of Saint-Martin on L'Ile de Re." It's incredibly detailed; you can almost feel the chaos of the battle. What strikes you about it? Curator: The sheer volume of labor represented in this print is fascinating. Think of the copper plate, the tools Callot used, the process of etching itself, multiplied by each impression. The material act of reproduction is key to its impact. Editor: So, the process of making the image is as important as the image itself? Curator: Absolutely. The print becomes a commodity, disseminating information about the siege to a wider audience. We're not just looking at a battle; we're seeing the industrialization of warfare imagery. Food for thought!