The Nativity 1530 - 1573

Editor: This is "The Nativity," a print by Geoffroy Dumonstier, dating sometime between 1530 and 1573. It has a very dark, almost chaotic energy. There are so many figures packed into the composition. I’m curious, how do you interpret this work, particularly considering its materials? Curator: This print’s reliance on line and its reproduction speaks volumes. Notice how the use of etching or engraving transforms a singular artistic vision into something potentially disseminated widely. It speaks to the printing press, doesn't it? The production, circulation, and the potential democratizing influence of art… Consider what this print *did*. Editor: Democratizing art through prints makes a lot of sense, and it does so while simultaneously spreading the story itself... The printmaking medium also allowed an artist like Dumonstier to reach audiences he otherwise would never reach. Curator: Exactly. And further, how might this affordability and dissemination affect our understanding of "Nativity" as both art *and* a powerful social tool? Are we considering religious interpretation when we might more productively consider the labor, cost and intended reach of this work? Editor: So you’re less interested in what the Nativity scene *represents* and more intrigued by the economic and social aspects of printmaking during the Renaissance and who it was serving? Curator: Precisely. I’m thinking about the role this print had in the socio-economic context of its time, and who had access to it. Can we measure success on artistry alone? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about regarding how art reaches its audience. Curator: And, by understanding these mechanisms, we gain a clearer view of what we are really "seeing."