Kievit 1600 - 1662

Editor: Here we have Pieter Holsteyn's "Kievit", made sometime between 1600 and 1662 using watercolor. It’s just…a bird! But something about it feels incredibly lifelike despite the simplified form. What strikes you about this work? Curator: For me, the interest lies in Holsteyn's choice of watercolor. What was its availability like in the 17th century, and what might that tell us about its use and perceived value as a medium? Was it widely accessible, or a material linked to a particular class or purpose? Editor: That's interesting! I hadn't considered the material’s role beyond aesthetics. Curator: It also challenges traditional notions of high and low art. This isn’t an oil painting destined for a palace wall, yet it shows great skill. Who was his patron? What was his workshop like? This watercolor provides us an opportunity to question the division of artistic labor. Editor: So by exploring the watercolor itself, its source and context, you reveal something about artistic hierarchy and the broader societal structures of the time? Curator: Exactly. Think about the pigments – where did they come from, who mined them, how were they processed? These factors determine much of the work’s nature and impact, much more than an interpretation about symbolic meaning. Editor: I see! It moves beyond simply seeing a bird, to understanding the bird’s image as a product of materials and historical conditions. Curator: Precisely. I learned so much today thinking through your perspective, thank you. Editor: The materiality really transforms how I view this delicate little bird.