Steniging van de ouderlingen 1563

Editor: This engraving, "The Stoning of the Elders" by Philips Galle, dates back to 1563. The image is quite stark, the crowd looks menacing and very focused on what they are doing, which is brutal and horrible. I'm struck by the level of detail achieved with just engraving on a plate. What do you see in this piece, from your perspective? Curator: Well, given the date, we must consider the social context and means of production. Engravings like this were essentially early forms of mass media. Galle’s workshop likely employed a number of artisans, each contributing to the final print. Think about the labor involved: the engraver meticulously carving the image into the metal, the printer pulling each impression, and the distributors getting the image out to the public. It was a commodity, traded and consumed like any other object. Editor: So, you're saying the print itself, as an object, carries as much significance as the image it portrays? Curator: Precisely! What impact did it have and to whom? This isn’t just an artistic expression. Consider, what would the masses of the day do with such a work once they got their hands on it? And where would it wind up at the end of its life? How long would it take to wear out? What other objects was it commonly seen beside, if any? Editor: That's a totally different way to look at it. I was focused on the people in the image. Curator: Indeed. I tend to see the circulation of the *thing* as more vital to unpack than merely the narrative elements within the lines and shades that we see. Editor: I never thought about the physical process of creating and distributing art in that much detail. Thanks, that gives me something new to consider with every work! Curator: Absolutely! Focusing on production and consumption reveals so much about a society's values.