Twee boeren 1636 - 1679

Editor: Here we have "Twee boeren", or "Two Farmers," a print dating from sometime between 1636 and 1679, by Frans van den Wijngaerde. It's currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. The depiction of the figures is very detailed... What stands out to you in this piece? Curator: It's the texture rendered through engraving that grabs my attention. Consider the labor involved in creating these minute lines, etching away at the metal plate. Each scratch represents a conscious decision, a physical act of making visible the unseen workforce of the Dutch Golden Age. Look at how those lines articulate social status through the subjects' clothing! Editor: So, you’re focusing on the physical process itself? I mean, does the “print” medium hold particular significance? Curator: Precisely. The print medium democratized images, moving art production out of the sole domain of the wealthy and toward the hands of the artisan. Look at the repetition inherent in printmaking! Think about the social implications of that repeatability. What do the figures' postures tell us about labor in the Dutch Golden Age? Editor: I see…It makes me wonder how the average person during the 17th century would have interpreted such an image compared to, say, a painting only affordable to wealthy patrons. Curator: Exactly! This piece facilitates an investigation into who controls the means of artistic production, who consumes these images, and how they circulate within society. Think of the markets and merchants who would have handled and sold this work; how does it intersect with early capitalism? Editor: It really changes how I see this piece; not just a portrait, but a representation of labor and accessibility. Curator: Precisely. It compels us to contemplate how materiality and production intertwined with artistic value and audience.