Verbranden van de douanehuisjes op 15 november 1813 in Amsterdam 1876

Editor: This print, made by Johan Conrad Greive in 1876, depicts "The Burning of the Customs Houses on November 15, 1813 in Amsterdam". It’s such a dark scene, emphasizing the texture of smoke and suggesting a volatile atmosphere. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, let’s consider the historical moment captured. What’s being burned? Not just wood, but a symbol of imposed governance, and very concretely, customs *houses*. Who benefits from their destruction? Consider Amsterdam's position at the time and who controls trade and its material advantages. Editor: So, thinking about it materially, burning customs houses is a very active removal of a structure controlling trade…a literal destruction of a system. How would the materials have informed the reading of this piece by contemporary viewers? Curator: Exactly. The Dutch economy was suffocating under French rule and its imposed tariffs. The burning isn’t just symbolic, it is about wresting back control of resources and wealth. The choice of print as the medium, too, allows for a wide dissemination of this act, reinforcing its significance. Where does value lie here? Editor: I see your point. It's not just a depiction of a historical event, but a material act of defiance circulated for further reinforcement. The act itself changes the material conditions. It becomes propaganda through production! Curator: Precisely. And what materials were used in the printing process? How accessible was this process and artwork to different classes of society at that time, considering materiality? Editor: It gives a new dimension to see it as an instigator of change through materiality! Thanks, I’ll definitely reflect on that further. Curator: Glad to have given you some food for thought. Consider further the labor involved!