Peasant Carrying His Spade on His Shoulder c. 17th century

Editor: This etching, "Peasant Carrying His Spade on His Shoulder" by Jacques Callot, shows a figure walking with the tools of his trade. The scale is quite small, yet the landscape feels expansive. What strikes you about it? Curator: It’s interesting to consider the labor embedded in this image. The etching process itself – the acid, the metal plate – mirrors the peasant’s own physical engagement with the land. How does Callot’s technique, his means of production, shape our understanding of the peasant’s labor? Editor: So, you're saying that Callot's artistic process, the labor that went into the print, somehow reflects the peasant's labor in the fields? That's a fascinating way to look at it. Curator: Precisely. The material reality of artmaking can reveal so much about how we value different kinds of work. Editor: I'll definitely look at art through that lens from now on, considering not just the final image, but also how it was made and what materials were used.