Stilleven 1833 - 1863

Curator: Here we have "Stilleven," an etching dating from 1833 to 1863, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately I’m drawn to the contrast—the stone bust on the left, cold and still, set against this riot of blooming roses and lush fruit. It's as if nature itself is staging a playful rebellion. Curator: An astute observation! Let's consider the etcher, S. Rosenthal, and the medium of print itself. This image was painstakingly created through acid and metal, processes demanding both meticulous labor and chemical knowledge. These still lifes gained popularity amongst the bourgeois and wealthy during this period, who wanted decorative artworks for their homes. Editor: Right. Knowing the process doesn't diminish the result for me. See the dew drop clinging to that rose petal, how Rosenthal captures that sense of fleeting, transient beauty in ink! I want to stick my face in there, feel the textures! Is that weird? Curator: Not at all! Etching allowed for wider circulation of images, impacting artistic and societal value perceptions, creating a new market of artistic taste accessible across social divides. It makes you consider what those buying into those markets aspired to in the decorative art of the time, in terms of aesthetic values but also class and societal values. Editor: I'm still stuck on that contrast, though. That very tangible artistic choice makes me wonder about the sitter... Who places wilting beauty next to immutable stone? I wonder if they saw mortality reflected back at them from the blooms. Curator: I believe this brings a fresh lens on our etching of “Stilleven.” Understanding production and material means is so key to uncovering new stories and values behind the aesthetics. Editor: Exactly, thinking beyond what our eyes see takes the aesthetic value of beauty beyond its surface meaning, that I’m grateful for.