Hatred or Jealousy (from "Heads Representing the Various Passions of the Soul; as they are Expressed in the Human Countenance: Drawn by that Great Master Monsieur Le Brun") 1765 - 1800

Curator: Oh, this is intense! Right away I feel like I've been caught doing something terribly wrong. That gaze... wow. Editor: Indeed! We’re looking at an image titled "Hatred or Jealousy (from 'Heads Representing the Various Passions of the Soul; as they are Expressed in the Human Countenance: Drawn by that Great Master Monsieur Le Brun')". This print, created between 1765 and 1800, offers an almost clinical study of emotion. Curator: A clinical study? See, I'm feeling the opposite. The sketchiness, the wild hair... It suggests uncontrollable fury, almost theatrical. I’m intrigued by how the artist achieved that just using line work. Editor: The "sketchiness," as you call it, arises from the printmaking process itself. Consider the labor involved: translating Le Brun's theories into a reproducible form intended for dissemination. It transforms emotional expression into a commodity, readily available to students and connoisseurs alike. Note the descriptive text at the bottom of the page, adding another layer of information to the art. Curator: A commodity of emotions…I suppose that's still relevant today, isn't it? With our influencers and perfectly curated online lives, is anything really authentic? But here, the raw feeling just leaps off the page. Editor: Precisely! These prints, initially meant as guides, played a part in codifying emotional expression within a social structure, informing how one 'performed' emotion. And yes, considering it as labor opens the door to seeing artmaking, and emotional performance, within the contexts of class, power, and access. Curator: Interesting! Thinking about how this was mass produced... suddenly the focus on intense emotion, this dramatic single figure becomes more understandable in terms of reaching a wider audience. What they want or expect becomes integral to how this figure is designed. Editor: Exactly! These works, even seemingly straightforward prints, carry layers of meaning related to their creation, dissemination, and consumption. Curator: Well, now I’m considering my own "performance" of emotions! Thanks for sharing, that's food for thought. Editor: My pleasure. It's always fascinating to examine the mechanics behind how we feel and why art that helps us see and name feeling will likely remain forever fascinating and, yes, marketable.