Schepen in een storm op zee, een schip gestrand op de rotsen after 1640

Editor: So, we're looking at "Ships in a storm at sea, a ship stranded on the rocks," a print, an etching, created after 1640 by Johann Wilhelm Baur. It’s at the Rijksmuseum. The scene is incredibly dramatic, almost theatrical in its intensity, the churning water and dark clouds seem overwhelming. What strikes you most about it? Curator: Well, given its form as a print, it speaks to me of production and consumption. Look closely at the etching. How does its medium – that is, the printing press, and the labor necessary to create this image – challenge the idea of “high art” at the time? The multiplicity inherent in printmaking democratized images, making them accessible to a wider audience. How would these images shape the perception and even the commercial viability of maritime activity and trade during this period? Editor: That's a great point. It makes me consider the labor involved in both the creation of the artwork and the lives of the sailors depicted. There's a real sense of struggle evident, does the artist depict their labor? Curator: Exactly! The very act of creating this etching mirrors the human struggle against nature represented within it. Consider the distribution: were these prints marketed towards those directly involved in maritime activities, or aimed at wealthy landowners as collectables? And how does the materiality of the print itself – the paper, the ink, the very process of reproduction – contribute to its meaning and reception? The making of the etching connects with how ship trade helped early capitalism take off. Editor: It’s fascinating to consider how the materiality and distribution connect so deeply with both the artistic and economic landscapes of the time. It completely reframes my initial view. Thank you. Curator: And it makes me appreciate even more that prints made art affordable, helping spread images and stories further. There is such an incredible depth in everyday things!