The Toilet of Venus, after Jan van Lys 19th-20th century

Editor: Here we have Carl Peter Teigen's "The Toilet of Venus, after Jan van Lys". It's an oil on canvas, and the fleshy tones are really striking. What do you see in this piece, considering it's a copy? Curator: The very act of copying draws attention to artistic labour. How does Teigen's process, his specific application of paint, compare to van Lys's? Where does Teigen diverge? Are we meant to see this as skilled craft, or something more? Editor: That's a great point. Thinking about the materials and Teigen's specific choices shifts the focus. So, it becomes less about Venus herself, and more about the artist's choices as a maker, right? Curator: Precisely. By engaging with the materiality and the methods, it allows us to analyze its place within a system of artistic production and consumption.