Klokkenmaker in zijn werkplaats 1884 - 1885

Curator: Let’s consider this print by Eugène Louis Pirodon, made between 1884 and 1885. It’s titled “Klokkenmaker in zijn werkplaats” – “Watchmaker in his workshop.” Editor: A scene steeped in shadow and detail; it’s instantly cozy, even with the stark greyscale. A sort of everyday magic permeates this crowded, intimate space. I immediately wonder what the relationship dynamics are among these figures—like captured whispers from a simpler, pre-digital age. Curator: Indeed, that effect may be thanks to the engraving technique, lending a very specific texture. The artist presents this artisan's labour in detail. I am most interested in the organization of labor that constitutes domesticity intersecting with the commerce. Notice, for example, how the work space blends with the living quarters and different generations. Editor: Absolutely; it feels like a narrative unfurling right before our eyes. I feel pulled into their world; a vignette of family life intersects craft, patience and concentration. There is something so calming to imagine. Perhaps, in this age of mass production, seeing the focused work ethic has its own nostalgic charm? Curator: It serves to challenge our conception of fine art, too. An artwork celebrating, but also, documenting, craft. How do we assign value to this artwork that presents labor so directly? It serves to elevate that act of the ‘everyday.’ The family observes while the father toils away! What about its positionality interests you further? Editor: Positionality indeed. The clockmaker hunches over his work with what feels like profound care. The faces of those around him tell so much—quiet patience and attentiveness as the central male repairs. It invites contemplation about the passing of time, and the preservation of memories contained in those objects. Even more poignantly it serves as a marker to celebrate our artistic practice. Curator: So we agree: that Pirodon’s "Klokkenmaker in zijn werkplaats" engages a range of concerns relating to value, class and work during its historical moment, made explicit in its rendering. It certainly holds those narratives. Editor: Exactly. What starts out as just a small-scale print explodes with relevance.