Brieflezende jongen 1658 - 1677

Curator: Here we have Wallerant Vaillant's "Brieflezende jongen," dating sometime between 1658 and 1677. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Oh, the melodrama! The dramatic lighting makes him look like he’s reading his doom! You know, one of those "you've just inherited a haunted castle" sort of letters. Curator: Consider Vaillant’s approach here. He was quite innovative with mezzotint, pushing the limits of tonal variation in engraving. We can see this in the boy’s face. Notice the softness. Editor: Yes, the medium gives it an incredible delicacy. The curls almost look touchable, even though it’s a print! There's a beautiful melancholy. What’s *he* thinking about? Is he really just reading a grocery list? Curator: Probably not! Thinking about production, however, we should remember the commercial market for such prints. Consider its status. Vaillant would've needed workshop assistants to prepare the plates and editions of this, transforming artistic labor into commodity. Editor: True! Thinking about this boy *as* commodity, the hat is so deliberately fashionable – like the young, hip character to collect back in the day. The entire thing just has so much *mood.* That chiaroscuro, the plume... such romance! Curator: And remember that costume also serves to situate the figure within a certain social strata; such finery broadcasts wealth and status, both within the picture, and potentially, as display for the collector's tastes. The image then, actively performs class distinctions. Editor: Gosh! So much packed into this young reader... it truly brings an incredible insight to that time period. Curator: Indeed. Thinking materially and theoretically brings added resonance for interpreting its forms, subject, and even melancholic atmosphere.