Almanakprentje uit 1786-1787: 1. Chap(eau) a la Theodor (...) c. 1786 - 1787

Editor: Here we have “Almanakprentje uit 1786-1787," created around 1786 or 1787 by Gustav Georg Endner, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a print made with ink, and what strikes me immediately is the detail. These elaborate hats…they seem so excessive. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Looking at the materials – ink and engraving – we can infer much about its production. Consider the labour involved in creating these intricate lines. This wasn’t mass produced in the way we understand it today. Each impression required skilled labour and time. How might the consumption of such images relate to broader social structures and material culture of the time? Editor: So it's less about the hats themselves, and more about...who made it and how? Is that the materialist perspective? Curator: Precisely. These aren't just pretty pictures; they represent a complex interplay of labor, skill, and the means of production in 18th-century printmaking. Look at the detail achievable with engraving, but also consider the social context – who was producing these images, and for whom? Editor: So, even in something as seemingly frivolous as hat designs, there are these bigger implications related to labor and class. It makes me rethink how I see these kinds of decorative images. Curator: Indeed. By analyzing the materials and production process, we gain a deeper understanding of the artwork’s connection to its social and economic environment, prompting us to question the very definitions of “art” and “craft.” Editor: I’m now seeing this as less about style and more about its value as commodity. It's like looking at the roots of fashion production and consumerism! Curator: Exactly, analyzing what is consumed tells us a lot about consumerist nature of the people at that time.