Flight into Egypt c. 17th century

Editor: This tiny etching, Jacques Callot’s "Flight into Egypt", shows Mary, Joseph, and Jesus escaping on donkeys. It's incredible how much detail he packed into such a small space. What stands out to you about the making of this work? Curator: Notice how Callot used etching, a printmaking process relying on acid to bite lines into a metal plate. The labor-intensive nature of creating these plates speaks volumes about the value placed on religious imagery during this period. How does the affordability of prints affect its audience? Editor: It let more people have access! So, the means of production democratized religious art? Curator: Precisely. And consider the raw materials, the metal plate, the paper, the ink – all commodities circulating within a complex economic system. Editor: I never thought about it that way! The art is embedded in material processes. Curator: Exactly. By looking at the materials, labor, and distribution, we understand not just the image, but the social forces that shaped its creation and reception.