Schmetterling und Wespe bei Trauben 

Curator: Right, let's discuss this intriguing artwork from our collection. This is "Schmetterling und Wespe bei Trauben" - or Butterfly and Wasp by Grapes - created by Jacoba Maria van Nickelen. It’s rendered with a combination of gouache, watercolor, and oil paint, which is quite interesting in itself. Editor: My initial reaction is drawn to the overall softness despite the still life genre; there’s a stillness but with subtle movement in the arrangement of grapes and the poised butterfly, I can almost smell the ripeness of the grapes about to burst. Curator: Agreed. The deliberate choice of materials—especially gouache, provides that slightly matte and velvety texture contrasting nicely against the slick surface of the fruit. Look at how she handles the light: soft yet defined, it guides your eyes towards certain elements, almost elevating the items depicted here. It makes me wonder, was this from observation? And the labour of rendering it feels substantial. Editor: And beyond the materials, I'm struck by what this choice says about 18th century life. Was this an indulgence for someone well off, a contemplation on mortality, or even a commentary on the power and delicate structure of our natural environment? Also who was the patron commissioning artworks like these and what social stratum did Nickelen exist in? Curator: Well, floral painting was largely relegated as feminine art for aristocratic female dilettantes with plenty of money, because to produce this work the patron required disposable income. Think about the costs to commission oil and gouache paint, and it shows how certain social class could buy this. Editor: So what we’re really examining here, through Van Nickelen’s sharp skills with various media, is an almost encoded form of wealth, privilege and female contribution within those power structures, all layered into the construction of this apparently benign, and innocent, still-life artwork. I now view the artwork as so deeply embedded in its historical context that its message feels so relevant now. Curator: It highlights how art serves as a powerful vehicle to display production quality. A testament not only of Van Nickelen's talent, but her place in an historical artistic landscape, and beyond the beauty of its realistic depiction, there's a story about labour that matters. Editor: Precisely, thinking through it this way completely reframes how I now see that poised butterfly. Curator: Absolutely. Now let’s move onto our next piece!