Interieur van het Cabinet de l'Amour in het Hôtel Lambert 1740

Curator: This is Bernard Picart's "Interieur van het Cabinet de l'Amour in het Hôtel Lambert" from 1740, an engraving housed in the Rijksmuseum. It depicts a highly ornamented interior, but it's all in grayscale. Editor: It's amazing how much detail he captured with just line work! It feels almost photographic. How do you even begin to interpret such a dense piece? Curator: Well, I start with the means of production. Engraving, in Picart's time, was a highly skilled craft, tied to print culture and dissemination of ideas. Think about the labour involved in creating these intricate lines. And who was meant to consume this image? Editor: Presumably, other wealthy patrons or perhaps aspiring artists looking for inspiration? Curator: Exactly. The Hôtel Lambert itself was a symbol of wealth and power. The "Cabinet de l'Amour" suggests a space for private, perhaps even licentious, aristocratic life. The print then becomes a commodity, extending the reach of that power, reproducing and consuming it. Notice how the ornament nearly suffocates the space. Editor: That's a fascinating perspective. It makes me think about the value assigned to different forms of labor and how printing allowed access to a world only some could experience. Were there workshops of engravers creating this? How does his process relate to the subject of the elite’s indulgences? Curator: That’s precisely the link. Picart's workshop probably employed multiple assistants to expedite this process. He's not just documenting, he's also participating in the system of production and consumption he depicts. It really underscores the materiality and labor that uphold this illusion of opulent leisure. Editor: That is a new insight to this work of art! I always viewed artworks with a beautiful appearance, but now I see it also as evidence of social class and hard work. Curator: Precisely! Focusing on the material aspects reveals much more than just aesthetic beauty.