Vrouw met een plooikraag 1817 - 1883

Curator: Let's turn our attention to "Vrouw met een plooikraag," or "Woman with a millstone collar." It's an engraving dating from sometime between 1817 and 1883, by Moses de Vries. Editor: My goodness, that collar practically screams status symbol, doesn’t it? It’s as if she's carrying a starched satellite dish around her neck. I imagine the amount of labour involved was astounding. Curator: Precisely. These collars, symbols of wealth and propriety, were incredibly labour-intensive. Notice the detail of the engraving: each pleat meticulously rendered, suggesting countless hours spent in the design and construction. Consider the socio-economic implications. Editor: Oh, absolutely. I am wondering who this woman was, you know? I can almost feel the starch and restriction; I see a glimpse of resignation in her eyes—a silent scream masked by the crisp perfection of the ruff. You know I think it also shows us an idealized domesticity. She may be trapped. Curator: I concur about it potentially suggesting constraint. Beyond its aesthetics, we see a reflection of the social fabric: the pressures on women, the importance of outward appearances and class stratification visualized so efficiently through clothing as social performance. It may indeed hint toward the constraints of a privileged but limited existence. Editor: And don't forget the craft! That exquisite engraving highlights a crucial step in the production of images, revealing not just the person but the technology behind dissemination in this time period. Did de Vries see something to satirize, to idolize, to comment on? Was it simply an artistic study? Curator: Excellent point. De Vries may have indeed subtly mocked the era’s rigid sartorial demands or even social demands imposed on women. The interplay between presentation, power, and personhood continues to resonate. Editor: The sheer black and white impact against what the imagination wants for detail says to me how fashion can reflect culture in more ways than mere clothing. Curator: Indeed. Each line carries an ideological weight—revealing hidden elements within the depicted society of the time. This engraving is so revealing when it comes to material production, circulation, and status. It is interesting how such old works continue to reveal what's still happening today. Editor: It's funny; for all its focus on high society and craftsmanship, it reminds me to never take what I see at face value... everything's made with tools, skill, and loaded history.