Cardinal Barberini 1664

Editor: This is Robert Nanteuil's portrait of Cardinal Barberini. It's an engraving, so I’m wondering about the labor involved in creating all those fine lines. What do you make of this piece? Curator: Consider the social context. Printmaking allowed wider access to portraits, previously a luxury for the wealthy. Nanteuil's skill democratized Barberini's image, but who truly benefited from this circulation of power? Editor: So, you’re saying the material production had social implications? Curator: Exactly. The process and distribution shaped how Barberini was perceived, and also reinforced the system that allowed such portraits to exist. Editor: That's a different way to look at portraiture. I never considered the means of production as part of the message. Curator: It’s all connected.