John Milton (1608-1674) c. 18th century

Curator: Let's discuss this engraving of John Milton, the famed English poet, by John Simon. Editor: What strikes me first is the somber mood, the weight of that cloak almost seems to suffocate him. I wonder what process was used to create the varying gray tones and fine lines. Curator: Consider Milton's historical context—the English Civil War, his radical politics. The weight you perceive could be the burden of his beliefs, his blindness even, rendered visible through artistic interpretation. Editor: The materiality speaks to something too. The labor involved in creating such fine detail, the consumption of time and materials. Does the medium elevate or diminish the sitter? Curator: It elevates him within a particular intellectual tradition, definitely. But it also reinforces patriarchal structures of power, depicting a privileged man whose voice dominated literary and political discourse. Editor: Interesting point. I leave with a sense of the skill involved, the mark-making, but also thinking about the means of production. Curator: And I am left thinking about Milton's enduring legacy, and how we continue to grapple with the complexities of his vision today.