Woman Dancing c. 17th century

Editor: This is "Woman Dancing" by Michel Lasne, a 17th-century engraving. The woman's clothing looks quite detailed. I wonder, what can we learn about the making of this print and the social context it reflects? Curator: Engravings like this weren't just aesthetic objects; they were commodities. Lasne, as the engraver, participated in a system of production and consumption. How does the print's materiality—the paper, the ink, the lines themselves—speak to the social realities of its time? Editor: That's interesting, so the materials used to create the piece, and how it would have been produced, can tell us more about the social conditions of the time? Curator: Exactly. Consider the labor involved. The artist, the printer, the potential distributors. Who had access to these images, and what purpose did they serve in society?