Continuity and Disruption: Print Production Networks in Artl@s Bulletin
A great special issue of the Artl@s Bulletin on challenges and opportunities for art historical network analysis is now out, featuring another component of my research into early modern etching & engraving networks. I focus on the (ahistorical?) phenomenon of national schools and their less-than-perfect fit to the relationships documented by the artworks themselves:
As we will see, these modern labels do not overlay comfortably over the topological communities in these production networks. However, by understanding when these production communities diverge from present-day classifications, we will gain a more fluid and dynamic understanding of how communities of practice interacted during this golden age of European printmaking.
For those following along, you may recognize this question from a post I made several years ago on confabulation in the humanities when I was just starting to puzzle through these questions.
