Vaandeldragers en magistraten, plaat D 1530 - 1536

Editor: This is "Vaandeldragers en magistraten, plaat D" made between 1530 and 1536 by Nicolaas Hogenberg, an engraving printed on paper. It has a fascinating almost photographic feel, despite being created so long ago. I'm struck by the detail achieved through the printmaking process. What stands out to you? Curator: The lines! Look at the sheer labor involved in creating these minute details. Consider the physical exertion of incising the metal plate to produce this image. Each line, each dot, speaks to the social and economic conditions of printmaking at the time. It wasn't just art, it was a skilled craft, demanding precision and a whole workshop dedicated to labor! Editor: So you’re seeing the image as a document of labour, and not just an artistic representation of these figures? Curator: Exactly! The image serves to illustrate the social hierarchy - the riders in their costumes, and then the engraver would’ve reproduced multiple versions to be consumed and circulated within certain circles. It shows power in the raw materials used - like paper from a certain source, and pigments of ink that tell us about global trade routes that afforded them the access to these materials. Editor: That gives me a completely different perspective. I hadn’t considered how the availability of materials shapes the art. Curator: Consider how access to tools and markets enabled workshops like Hogenberg's to mass produce images, potentially influencing perception. Where was it consumed, and how? By understanding the materiality, we move beyond just the “art” to understanding social conditions of labour, production, and class. Editor: It is amazing to consider the production as part of the artistic merit. I’ll definitely be paying more attention to materials and manufacturing in the future. Curator: Indeed. Art is not created in a bubble, and this close-looking approach offers much deeper insight!