Sir Thomas More 1741

Editor: Here we have Jacobus Houbraken's portrait of Sir Thomas More. It's really quite detailed! I’m curious about how the printmaking process may have influenced its overall impact. What do you think? Curator: Well, the printmaking process itself is key. Consider the labor involved in etching these fine lines, replicating the image. It democratizes access, moving the portrait from elite ownership to wider consumption. Editor: So, the material process expands its social context. Curator: Exactly. The consumption of this image and others like it creates a market. The paper it’s printed on, the ink used – it’s all part of the larger economic system of image production and dissemination. Editor: Interesting! I see how the materiality deeply affects the understanding of the work.