The grape-picker, and elderly woman holding a basket of grapes, after Murillo 1775 - 1785

Editor: So, here we have "The Grape-Picker," an engraving after Murillo, created sometime between 1775 and 1785 by Juan Antonio Salvador Carmona. The Metropolitan Museum holds this piece, and I find myself drawn to the subject's… dignity, despite the simplicity of the scene. What do you see in this work? Curator: Dignity, yes! And weariness, maybe. It feels like stepping into a faded dream, doesn't it? Imagine Carmona, copying Murillo. He’s not just rendering an image, he’s channeling a sensibility, almost like conducting a séance. Editor: A séance? That's an interesting way to put it. Curator: Well, consider! This engraving seeks to translate color and texture into lines and crosshatching. There’s a whole history of appropriation and reinterpretation swirling around that basket of grapes! It speaks volumes about art, imitation, and the passage of time. Think about the socio-economic status that must exist to harvest that many grapes. And then ponder her expression... does she know that she will become, if she isn't already, wine? Editor: I never really considered the… lineage, I guess, of images themselves. It's like looking at a copy of a copy. That definitely changes how I see it. Thank you. Curator: And thank you for noticing the faint echoes of a hand long past… It always gives one pause, doesn’t it?