Ontwerp voor een menukaart met twee knielende vrouwen 1884 - 1952

Editor: This drawing on paper, "Ontwerp voor een menukaart met twee knielende vrouwen," roughly translates to "Design for a menu with two kneeling women," and it's by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries, dated somewhere between 1884 and 1952. The symmetry and soft colors give it a quiet, decorative feel. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, viewed historically, these types of designs represent the burgeoning of commercial art and the rising importance of design in shaping consumer culture. Art Nouveau, the style represented here, became fashionable for its embrace of decorative arts in everyday life. Do you see how the kneeling women are stylized, almost becoming part of the ornamentation themselves? Editor: Yes, they’re integrated into the lettering. The women feel very subservient, framing the “MENU” text like that. Curator: Precisely. Consider the social implications: How does this image, intended for public consumption, subtly reinforce existing gender roles? The act of kneeling often symbolizes supplication or service, and here it is directly connected to the presentation of food. Think about who would have commissioned and consumed this menu; What social class do you think? Editor: Probably a wealthier clientele. This doesn’t feel like everyday fare. I never really considered how menus could reflect those kinds of social power structures. Curator: Exactly! And that is what makes images such as these so interesting: They not only offer food for consumption but tell stories of an earlier societal order through symbols. Editor: It definitely changes how I will look at design going forward.