Different Nations of Africa 1720

Curator: Let's consider Louis Surugue's "Different Nations of Africa." The material reality of this printmaking process – the labor of the engraver, the dissemination of images – speaks volumes about 18th-century Europe's consumption and construction of "Africa." Editor: It's interesting how it depicts the people. What does it tell us? Curator: How does the very act of creating and circulating such an image reinforce certain power dynamics and ideas about cultural difference through its production and trade? Editor: It makes you wonder about the intent of the artist. Thanks! Curator: And also the intent of the patron, and the public who consumed the print.