Exhibitor of Apes c. 19th century

Editor: So here we have Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps' "Exhibitor of Apes," an etching. The scene depicts a traveling show, but the rendering feels so… rough. What can you tell me about the making of this print? Curator: The visible labor is key. Look at the marks, the lines that create form. Decamps isn't hiding the process. How does this etching, a multiple, democratize access to imagery, and how does its production and distribution impact the status of art itself? Editor: It’s interesting to consider how reproducible art like this changes our understanding of value. Thanks for that perspective. Curator: Indeed, this etching highlights how art is intrinsically connected to its mode of production and dissemination.