Reuk 1774

Curator: Looking at "Reuk," a print by Jean-Baptiste Le Prince from 1774, it’s striking how material concerns shape its Rococo aesthetic. The print medium itself allows for replication and wider distribution of imagery that originally might have only been seen by wealthier patrons, democratizing, in some sense, the consumption of luxury and art. Editor: Oh, the aroma wafts right out, doesn’t it? I feel like I can smell those flowers she’s holding up to her nose. The wisps of what looks like smoke...it has a certain perfume about it. Curator: Absolutely. Le Prince's technique in engraving and using that sepia wash evokes the sensory experience of "smell," as the title "Reuk" suggests, even using the printmaking to get at a very ethereal feeling. It blurs the lines between mere representation and immersive, sensory art—akin to scent marketing today. Editor: I hadn't considered the parallels to modern marketing! I was just enjoying the story here: a pampered woman, luxuriating in the fragrance while someone tends a simmering pot nearby, probably concocting some other fragrant delight. Are we sure this isn't a precursor to a Glade commercial? Curator: Perhaps a slightly more labor-intensive, pre-industrial version! The production context—the engraver’s skill, the materials like the ink and paper, all made by human hands–stands in stark contrast to our own era of mass-produced scents. The leisure represented on the surface is underpinned by immense effort and skill in production of the original artwork. Editor: I’m also drawn to the backdrop: classical columns contrasted with flowing curtains and soft details. It’s quite dreamlike... Makes you wonder, what was actually simmering in that pot, or who precisely picked her nosegay. Curator: It's easy to be romanced by the superficial lightness of the Rococo, but recognizing the complex process that yields such ‘effortless’ artwork invites deeper thought about how we value art and the labor involved. Editor: Mmm. Still, that olfactory atmosphere has truly captivated me, like a whispered story on perfumed breeze. Curator: And hopefully now we are all appreciating both surface impressions as well as production contexts that produced "Reuk" for all to consume.