Forthwith upright he rears from off the pool His mighty stature 

Editor: Here we have Gustave Doré’s "Forthwith upright he rears from off the pool His mighty stature," a dramatic black and white image. The swirling water and looming figure create an overwhelming sense of scale and power. What stands out to you? Curator: This work really speaks to the means of production available at the time. Consider the laborious process of engraving, the tools, the artisan’s hand meticulously translating an idea into physical form, using lines to create tone. The print is the artifact of a workshop. Where was this printed, and how did it circulate? Did its value lie solely in its artistic merit, or was its worth determined by the quality of labor involved in its creation, and by the social status attributed to print media at that time? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought about the printing process itself as a key element. Curator: Exactly. And consider the audience for this type of print. Was it for individual contemplation or mass consumption? How did it contribute to the cultural and social values of its time? These questions move us away from a purely aesthetic appreciation and toward a consideration of material culture. We must also think of the labour of reading that accompanies images. Editor: So, it’s not just about what Doré intended to portray, but about the whole system that brought the image into being, and into the hands of viewers. Curator: Precisely. The networks and materiality determine the possibilities for reading that the artwork provides. It invites us to see how artistic value is intertwined with socio-economic conditions, and labor involved. Editor: I’ll definitely look at art differently now, thinking about the material realities and all the work it took to produce it! Curator: Hopefully you'll begin thinking about art beyond just aesthetics to its impact.