Pastry Shop 1627 - 1637

This print, Pastry Shop, was made by Abraham Bosse in the 17th Century and is now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Initially, the eye is drawn to the horizontal arrangement of the pastries displayed on the table. The composition of the image is divided into two distinct halves which are connected by a continuous shelf. The first half is the preparation of baked goods; and the second half is the sale. Bosse uses a semiotic system of signs to interpret the visual components and cultural codes which may have informed the artwork's making and reception. The division of labor in the shop becomes symbolic. One side is the preparation, and the other side is the selling. The composition uses a horizontal axis to create a sense of order, but the division suggests emerging social structures, where production and consumption are becoming distinct activities. The linear organization and detailed depiction of tools and products reflect early modern society's evolving economic systems and values.