Spencer Album 3: Works of Jacques Callot, Volume 1 c. 18th century

Editor: Here we have "Spencer Album 3: Works of Jacques Callot, Volume 1", by Jacques Callot. It looks like a collection of prints, bound together. I’m curious about the choice to compile and preserve these images in album form. What's significant about presenting Callot's work in this way? Curator: The act of assembling these prints into a bound volume elevates Callot's status, suggesting an artist worthy of serious study and preservation. It reflects the collecting practices of the time and how printmaking, though often seen as reproductive, could establish an artist's reputation and legacy within elite cultural circles. Editor: That makes me consider the role of institutions like the Harvard Art Museums in maintaining these collections today. I never really thought about it in that way! Curator: Exactly! The album's journey and its current home are crucial parts of its story.