Hyacinthe Collin de Vermont c. 18th century

Editor: This is Manuel Salvador Carmona's portrait of "Hyacinthe Collin de Vermont." It’s difficult to date precisely, but Carmona was active in the late 18th century. It’s a print, so materiality and process are central. What stands out to you about this image? Curator: I see the process of reproduction and distribution. As a print, it cheapens and broadens the consumption of Collin de Vermont's image. What does it mean to make a portrait accessible through mechanical reproduction? Editor: So, rather than celebrating the individual, it's about making his image a commodity? Curator: Precisely. The labor involved in creating and distributing the print becomes as significant as the subject's identity. What might the consumption of such images tell us about 18th-century French society? Editor: Interesting. I hadn't considered the social context of printmaking in that way before. Curator: Indeed. Thinking about the material conditions of art production changes how we interpret the image itself.