Secondary View of the City of the Pont de L'Arche near Rouen c. 18th century

Editor: This is Charles Nicolas Dufour's "Secondary View of the City of the Pont de L'Arche near Rouen," an engraving. I’m struck by the figures, their labor seems so entwined with the landscape. What can you tell me about its creation? Curator: Consider the labor involved in its production. Engravings like this were often commissioned, reproducing paintings for wider distribution. Who was consuming these images, and what value did they place on representations of the landscape versus the lived experience of those depicted? Editor: So, it's less about Dufour's artistic vision and more about the socioeconomic factors that shaped its creation and consumption? Curator: Precisely. The materials, the labor, the intended audience – all speak to a complex web of power and value in 18th-century France. We have to consider the means of its production. Editor: That's a fascinating way to consider art. I’ll never look at engravings the same way again!