Untitled c. 19th century

Editor: This is Joseph Andrews's Untitled work, its date is unknown, and it's housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The woman and the eagle seem to represent America. How do you interpret this piece? Curator: Let's consider the material conditions of its production. Engravings like these were often made for mass distribution. Think about the labor involved in creating the printing plates. What kind of social messages were being consumed through such images, and by whom? Editor: That’s fascinating. So it’s not just about the symbolism, but who had access to it? Curator: Exactly. The means of production shapes its meaning. We learn about the social and economic context in which it was circulated. Editor: I never thought about art from that perspective. Thanks for pointing it out!