Rested, Good Night, and He Extinguished the Lamp (Ninth Canto) 1766

Editor: Here we have Antoine Jean Duclos's "Rested, Good Night, and He Extinguished the Lamp (Ninth Canto)." It's a detailed print, and it feels very staged, like a scene from a play. What do you make of the crowd surrounding the central figure? Curator: This print reflects the 18th-century interest in dramatic narratives and the public performance of power. The crowd, their gestures, the lighting – it all contributes to a specific kind of spectacle meant to impress. How do you think the artist uses visual cues to communicate the subject's authority? Editor: Well, he's on a horse, elevated above everyone else, and he’s holding what looks like a baton. It definitely puts him in charge. It is interesting how even prints were tools of soft power. I hadn’t considered that. Curator: Exactly. And seeing this image reproduced would extend that message beyond the immediate audience, reinforcing social hierarchies. Food for thought!