Reliekhouder met putti en cherubijnen 1714

Editor: This is "Reliekhouder met putti en cherubijnen" (Relief holder with putti and cherubs) by Maximilian Joseph Limpach, made in 1714. It’s an engraving, full of incredibly intricate detail. It feels so ornate. What strikes you about it? Curator: The means of production for an engraving like this are quite fascinating. Think of the labor involved. It wasn't simply about artistic expression. The material itself - the metal plate, the tools used to incise the design - dictated the possibilities, and the baroque style really emphasizes extravagance. It really exemplifies luxury, it’s designed to showcase wealth and status, through elaborate production. Where might it have been used and for whom? Editor: Given all the cherubs and what looks like a vessel to hold a religious relic, I imagine this kind of ornate piece was made for the church. Curator: Precisely, and think about what engravings, as multiples, provided—widespread distribution and the availability of art for a wider audience beyond the elite, however engravings could be very expensive when involving master engravers, blurring the traditional high art and craft divide. Editor: So, in that sense, an engraving almost democratized access to religious imagery, but with economic caveats that are also true to this day? Curator: It absolutely complicates things, yes! Do you see any contradictions there in the pursuit of luxury as the means of its own democratization? Editor: Well, I’d never thought about it like that. Thinking about art as labor makes me consider all the anonymous engravers working to produce and disseminate these images! Curator: Exactly. Looking at art from a material perspective allows us to think more critically about labor. That labor underpins every aspect of art. We can think about social relations in art through production! Editor: That gives me a lot to think about, reframing the creation and even the meaning of baroque art.