Demetrius en de zilversmeden van Efese 1610 - 1652

Curator: Pieter Fransz. de Grebber created this drawing, “Demetrius and the Silversmiths of Ephesus,” sometime between 1610 and 1652. It’s rendered in pencil and ink. Editor: My initial reaction is one of observing raw labor; there's a kinetic tension within what appears to be an image about craft and making. I can almost hear the clamor in this tentative scene. Curator: Indeed! De Grebber captured a pivotal moment from the Acts of the Apostles. Demetrius, a silversmith, rallies his fellow artisans in Ephesus against Saint Paul, fearing that Paul's preaching against idolatry will ruin their trade in silver shrines of the goddess Artemis. Editor: That context adds another dimension. Seeing the figures with their outstretched arms toward what could be interpreted as material fabrication gives rise to thinking about material production being in perceived competition with religious change. It’s almost as if de Grebber saw craft itself as intertwined with religious and socio-economic power dynamics. Curator: Precisely. De Grebber positions the viewer to witness the brewing tension and how economic and social structures intersect with belief systems. The relatively humble status of a drawing further emphasizes this as it challenges established hierarchies of display and genre painting versus everyday working sketches. Editor: The use of readily available materials such as pencil and ink to depict skilled silversmiths reveals an interesting contrast between the tools required to make the drawing and those that were available to artisans and crafts workers at the time, specifically how accessible various materials and ways of expression were depending on your trade. Curator: The rapid, sketchy lines definitely capture a sense of immediacy, mirroring the urgency of the silversmiths' concerns, making the viewer more than an observer; we become implicated. Editor: I agree. The choice of material and style makes it seem very much of its time but also manages to create a discussion about the lasting questions of production, social standing and transformation, even today. Curator: De Grebber invites us to reflect on the ever-present tensions between tradition, innovation, labor, and social upheaval. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. The focus on material and production has broadened my sense of its artistic expression. Thanks.