Heilige Nathanaël after 1636

Editor: Here we have Frederick Bloemaert's "Heilige Nathanaël," made after 1636. It's an engraving, with these very fine, detailed lines. What really strikes me is the materiality, the feel of the paper it must have been printed on, and I’m curious about the historical context in which this print was produced. What do you see in this work? Curator: This engraving, and prints generally, allows us to think about image production in 17th century Europe, less in terms of individual artistic genius and more in terms of workshops and collaborative labor. Bloemaert likely wasn't alone in creating this image. Consider the material – the copper plate itself, the inks used, the paper, each representing a different stage of production and different specialized labor. Editor: So you’re saying we should focus less on Bloemaert the individual and more on the broader systems at play? Curator: Precisely. The reproductive nature of printmaking challenges notions of originality and authorship. Was Bloemaert copying another artist’s design? Who commissioned the print and for what purpose? Was it meant to circulate among an elite clientele, or a broader public? Thinking materially forces us to confront these questions about labor and the economy of art. Editor: That’s a completely different way of seeing it. The labor behind artmaking is easy to forget, especially when we're confronted with the finished product in a museum. Looking at it as a manufactured object shifts my understanding of its value. Curator: Indeed. It also invites us to examine the social context of consumption: How did the circulation of this print impact religious beliefs or social norms at the time? To really grapple with this image, we need to consider both its materiality and the broader social and economic forces that enabled its creation and distribution. Editor: Thanks! Considering all the hands that touched this image, not just the artist's, really puts it into perspective.