De inspecteurs van het Collegium Medicum te Amsterdam in 1756 1756

Editor: Here we have Tibout Regters' "The Inspectors of the Collegium Medicum in Amsterdam in 1756," a drawing using ink on toned paper. I'm immediately drawn to the intricate detail in the men's clothing and the way the light reflects off their faces. It has such a formal atmosphere. What’s your take on this group portrait? Curator: The rendering emphasizes the labor inherent in representation, right? We see a record, carefully crafted through ink and paper—materials themselves embedded in commerce and colonial expansion—of a powerful, professional guild. Editor: So, the materials used, and the process of drawing itself, reflects something about their social standing? Curator: Exactly! Consider the availability of paper at this time, the specific pigments used in the ink. Who had access to these materials? And think about the commission itself; the Collegium Medicum paid for this representation, solidifying its presence. These men are not just passively sitting; they are actively participating in their own legacy-making through the consumption of artistic labor and materials. Does the drawing style impact your view? Editor: I guess it’s quite formal, almost academic, which I suppose emphasizes their status as educated professionals. How would this drawing be perceived versus painting, for example? Curator: Precisely. The choice of drawing, a medium often seen as preparatory or less “finished” than painting, also challenges this notion of permanence. Could the "unfinished" state, lack of "colour", signify that production of medical knowledge in itself is continuously progressing? What have you learned today? Editor: That the drawing and materials can tell as much about the depicted as the depiction itself, the process and payment around that process and its result all reinforce wealth. Curator: Exactly, it invites us to reconsider who held power during that era and to scrutinize the instruments of its display.