Annunciation 1729 - 1742

Curator: This is "Annunciation" by A. Claude Philippe de Thubières comte de Caylus, a print held at the Harvard Art Museums. The striking use of sanguine ink immediately brings questions about its materiality. Editor: It is indeed striking. I'm curious, what does the choice of this particular printmaking process tell us? Curator: Consider the etching process itself – the acid biting into the metal, the labor involved in producing multiple impressions. Was this meant to democratize the image, making it accessible beyond the elite? Editor: So, the material and the means of production point towards a broader social reach? I never thought about religious art that way before. Thanks!