Portret van kardinaal Benedetto Erba-Odescalchi 1713 - 1762

Editor: This print, "Portret van kardinaal Benedetto Erba-Odescalchi," is by Girolamo (II) Rossi and was made sometime between 1713 and 1762. It's an engraving. The detail achieved through that process is quite striking! What stands out to you in terms of the material process used here? Curator: The most immediate thing is the labor involved. Consider the engraver meticulously cutting into the metal plate to create these lines. Each mark, each gradation, is a physical act that contributes to the overall image and its potential for mass dissemination. Look closely. Do you see any evidence of the engraver's hand, any slight imperfections in the execution? These aren't flaws, but testaments to the human labor inherent in the art object's creation. Editor: I hadn't really considered it that way. It seems so precise, almost mechanical, at first glance. Curator: Exactly! The print medium deceives. Consider also the paper. Where was it made, by whom, and what social systems were at play in its very manufacture and consumption? Understanding that process contextualizes this portrait of power – this Cardinal – within a larger system of material exchange. It subtly critiques the inherent elitism, doesn’t it? Editor: So, it's not just about who is depicted but the very means by which he's depicted, revealing larger societal structures and power dynamics? Curator: Precisely! By interrogating the materiality of this "Portret," we challenge the traditional view of it as simply a record of a powerful individual and explore art as labor. Editor: I appreciate the change of perspective; I'll certainly view prints differently going forward.