Fisher Girl with Basket n.d.

Curator: This is "Fisher Girl with Basket," a drawing by Michel François Dandré-Bardon. It’s currently part of the Art Institute of Chicago's collection. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the ephemeral quality. It feels almost like a fleeting memory captured in chalk and pencil on paper. You can see the textures created by the media so readily, such rawness! Curator: Absolutely, and it's fascinating to consider the context. Dandré-Bardon was working during a time when the academic art system, with its focus on history painting and idealized forms, held considerable sway. Yet, here we have what seems like a humble sketch of a working woman. How does this depart, or intersect, with the imagery of his time? Editor: I think the seeming informality allows the viewer direct access to consider how the work's production and, possibly, even the model's own labour are related to material sustenance. A simple basket takes on far greater cultural value! This isn't about portraying some imagined perfection; it is a scene reflecting daily life, and potentially, reflecting the reality of economic conditions for women at the time, too. Curator: Precisely. This almost democratic accessibility is remarkable considering the structures governing the art world. And how were drawings and prints like this consumed? They were much easier to disseminate than paintings, and reached a potentially wider public, offering access to art, knowledge and socio-political insight to groups of people. Editor: True! The very means of its creation – chalk, pencil, and the print medium itself - makes it easily reproducible and available. You are democratising images and reaching communities who likely did not have the access that aristocratic collectors and museum directors enjoyed! Even though we cannot say with certainty whether it intended such subversion or rebellion, this artwork presents us with very strong contrasts, highlighting different systems. Curator: A compelling consideration. It highlights how social and economic forces often inform the function and circulation of images, even seemingly simple portraits. Editor: Indeed. And when we analyze this from a materiality standpoint, and considering that these means were considered almost as “preliminary”, we question those boundaries erected to elevate some works while keeping other works within their own limited space. Thanks to you, I find even greater appreciation in the materials and the potential meanings conveyed to audiences then and even to our modern audiences.