Philips zonlicht. Kleuren als bij daglicht

Editor: Here we have a poster from between 1918 and 1919 titled "Philips zonlicht. Kleuren als bij daglicht," which translates to "Philips Sunlight. Colors like in daylight." It's a linocut print in blue, advertising Philips light bulbs. It strikes me how it frames electric light as a consumer product, right next to fabric. What do you make of this image? Curator: Considering its materiality, the linocut—a readily reproducible medium—serves not just aesthetic purposes, but democratizes access to art. This particular artwork shows how an industrial innovation, electric lighting, gets interwoven with domestic consumption. We see the material object – bolts of fabric - positioned to showcase its attributes under a specific type of lighting. Note how the choice of color, and the slogan itself emphasizes the color-rendering properties of the product. It blurs art and commerce. Editor: That's fascinating, that this medium democratizes art and makes it more accessible, so that electric light becomes a kind of artwork too, next to fabric. Does this suggest the artwork is not confined to traditional art spaces? Curator: Precisely. It lives in shops, homes, printed matter. Also, the focus shifts. It emphasizes the labor involved in production – both the creation of the print and the manufacture of light bulbs, bringing light and commerce together. Were Philips' workers getting enough daylight, do you think? Editor: An important point: that we can't look at this poster about 'daylight' without asking who makes these commodities and in what working conditions. I hadn't considered the working class when looking at it, more a middle-class customer, so that’s important to reflect on, thank you. Curator: Indeed. Analyzing this piece requires questioning whose hands were involved and under what conditions, thereby disrupting typical ideas of art history focused on authorship and genius.