Return from the Countryside c. 18th century

Curator: So, here we have Charles Nicolas Cochin l’ainé’s engraving, "Return from the Countryside." It looks like a large group of people traveling. Editor: Yes, it does. It's intricate. What statements are being made about class and power with this artwork? Curator: Well, consider the title itself. "Return from the Countryside" suggests a temporary escape, implying these figures usually inhabit a different space. It presents a romanticized view, obscuring the realities of rural labor and poverty. Who do you think has the luxury to leave the city? Editor: The wealthy, of course. So, this engraving becomes a kind of propaganda, a way for the elite to imagine themselves as connected to the land without actually engaging in its hardships. Curator: Exactly! And what does that romanticization achieve? Editor: It justifies their privilege, perhaps even distracts from the social inequalities of the time. I hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks!