Model met geborduurde jas en muts van de Wiener Werkstätte 1920 - 1930

Curator: This is a photograph entitled "Model met geborduurde jas en muts van de Wiener Werkstätte," placing it sometime between 1920 and 1930. The work is housed here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: There's something so delicately haunting about this image. It reminds me of a vintage doll, with its button eyes and a certain posed stillness. Curator: The subject here models clothing designed and produced by the Wiener Werkstätte, an association of visual artists, architects, and designers influential in the Art Nouveau movement. Consider this through the lens of design history. What can this image communicate to us about early twentieth-century aesthetics and class? Editor: Hmm, those patterned trims feel very handmade somehow, juxtaposed against the crisp, almost too-perfect presentation, especially those perfect shoes! It’s charming, though…makes me wonder about the little model. I hope their rabbit wasn't too ticklish! Curator: The Wiener Werkstätte aimed to integrate art into everyday life, promoting a unified artistic vision across all aspects of design. This child, adorned in bespoke attire, symbolizes a dedication to handcrafted luxury during a time of emerging industrialization. The context of early childhood portraits often intersected with statements about wealth, aspiration, and cultural values. Editor: And the teddy bear! Oh gosh, there's this wistful quality…the toy looking even more worn and loved against the clean backdrop… It tugs at something, you know? Did this feel as precious then, or does the passing of time turn it bittersweet? Curator: Exactly! Examining its photographic qualities – the soft sepia tones and meticulous staging – invites us to unpack prevailing beauty standards, power dynamics, and historical frameworks that shaped these visual representations. The image, in its gentle innocence, also silently highlights larger social inequalities. Who had the access, resources, and societal standing to participate in the lifestyle implied here? Editor: It also feels like they have captured something other than just finery, a tender moment… like they almost weren't ready, they caught her there not fully 'performing', and so maybe that's why this moment speaks through time with its little hand hugs and half smiles... Curator: That's an interesting point – seeing this image through a psychoanalytical frame brings in questions around affect, vulnerability, and desire, disrupting a potentially conservative read of wealth. The beauty and privilege become complicated… Editor: It leaves one lingering, right? Long after we wander into another room...a gentle reminder of worlds lived in. Curator: Agreed. A silent, beautiful photograph that encourages us to weave these threads of history, design, and affect into a nuanced appreciation.