Portret van Sjoukje 1861 - 1895

Editor: This is Thérèse Schwartze's "Portret van Sjoukje," made sometime between 1861 and 1895. It’s an etching or a print. It feels very immediate, like a charcoal sketch but much more finished. What catches your eye when you look at this? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the process – the way the artist has layered the etching lines to build form. It really pushes the boundaries of the print medium, doesn’t it? Think about the labor involved. Each of those lines carefully placed… Were prints like these considered less "artistic" compared to paintings during this time? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn't considered the printmaking process itself as the primary focus. I was too involved with the subject! So, the status of prints would have impacted how people viewed the final artwork, beyond just its aesthetic qualities? Curator: Absolutely. The social context of artistic production shapes the meaning we ascribe. Who was making these prints? Were they reproduced, widely consumed? How did their availability change perceptions of art and the artist's role? The print medium allowed greater distribution; therefore, challenging painting as a cultural object, do you agree? Editor: I think I see what you mean. Seeing art as purely this untouchable, intellectual idea changes how we think about art. If that print democratized art, it brings us into the world of the artist through their labor. Curator: Exactly. We’re looking at art that engages not just the eye, but also the hand, the printing press, the social structures surrounding art production. The materiality of the image is central. What did this all mean to art buyers at that moment, I wonder? Editor: Wow, you have given me so much to consider about print production and material significance that has altered my vision about this work!