Beeldenstorm, 1566 1613 - 1615

Editor: Here we have "Beeldenstorm, 1566," a print made between 1613 and 1615 by an anonymous artist, currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. It's such a detailed engraving, almost overwhelming to look at. What draws your eye in this piece? Curator: My focus immediately goes to the depicted labor, doesn't it? Note the sheer industriousness involved in destruction. Each swing of a hammer, each climb up a ladder, each fallen fragment points to intense, physical effort. What was the social status of the people engaging in this labor? Editor: Good point. It seems like there’s a mix; some look like common workers, but others appear more formally dressed, perhaps even of higher social standing. Does this reflect something about the event itself? Curator: Precisely. This image reflects the social upheaval of iconoclasm. It suggests a widespread participation across different levels of society, a dismantling of the old order, not just ideologically, but also materially. Look at the broken pieces scattered about – what are they made of? Editor: Stone, wood...the shattered remains of religious iconography, if I had to guess. Curator: Exactly! Now consider the labor involved in creating those icons in the first place. This print isn’t just showing destruction, it’s implicitly highlighting a shift in labor from creation to destruction, and potentially to a new form of production. Who benefits from the change of artwork or no artwork inside the building? Editor: That's a powerful observation. So, it's less about the religious argument and more about how resources and effort are re-allocated in this changing society? Curator: Indeed. It asks us to consider not only *what* is being destroyed, but *how* it’s being destroyed, and who’s wielding the hammer. And importantly, to consider what new forms of material culture and social relations might emerge from the rubble. Editor: I hadn't considered the labor aspect so directly. I was too caught up in the religious implications, but focusing on the "how" and "who" provides a whole new layer of understanding. Curator: Exactly. Seeing art through the lens of its material production opens doors to deeper social understanding.