Baking of Flat Cakes 1650

Editor: So, this is "Baking of Flat Cakes" painted in 1650 by Bartolomé Estebán Murillo. It’s an oil painting currently residing in the Hermitage. I am immediately drawn to how grounded and still the whole composition is despite depicting what seems to be a very commonplace, quotidian scene. How do you interpret this work? Curator: That's a great initial observation. The stillness, I think, highlights the quiet dignity inherent in domestic labor. Murillo often depicted scenes of everyday life, but it's crucial to ask, who gets to be seen in these “genre paintings?” What stories are being legitimized by their representation? Are these idealized portrayals, or do they reflect the realities of working-class individuals in 17th-century Spain? Consider that the woman seems to be doing most of the baking work; what commentary, if any, could Murillo be making about domestic labor, specifically from a feminist perspective? Editor: That’s a really interesting point! I hadn’t considered the perspective from which this genre painting might be constructed. The division of labour seems quite telling when you view the work in this context. Curator: Precisely. The painting presents an opportunity to question the gendered power dynamics within the household and the social status associated with such labor. What does it mean to elevate these acts through art, and simultaneously, potentially relegate them to a lower social sphere? Editor: It certainly gives me a new lens through which to consider seemingly simple portrayals of daily life, and to interrogate what power dynamics are at play, like the gendering of domestic work. Curator: Exactly! Recognizing the subtle assertions and omissions of history allows for more comprehensive discussions around representation.