Faith c. 19th century

Curator: Ferretti's print, called "Faith," presents an allegorical figure, and there's something about the textures created in this print that feel almost velvety to me. Editor: The way she's holding the chalice, almost offering, yet gazing inward…it feels like a moment suspended between devotion and doubt. What about the materials used to create this print? Curator: Yes, the materiality is interesting here; the etching technique would have allowed for a relatively inexpensive reproduction, spreading the image and its message, so to speak, far and wide. Editor: It makes you wonder about the labor involved, doesn't it? How many hands touched this image before it reached us? How does mass production shape, even cheapen, the notion of “faith”? Curator: Perhaps, or maybe it democratizes it. I think Ferretti wanted to capture a feeling, that quiet moment of personal conviction. Editor: So, it all comes down to production, doesn’t it? The intersection of intention, labor, and materials. Curator: I see your point, but I still find myself drawn to the vulnerability of that single, searching gaze. Editor: Well, I'm left contemplating how many faiths, and doubts, were reproduced by this etching.