Drie mannen rond een boek in een kantoor 1600 - 1700

Editor: Here we have Cornelis Visscher's "Three Men Around a Book in an Office," likely from the 17th century, an engraving currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It strikes me how much detail he was able to capture; the textures in particular create a wonderful contrast! What's most interesting to you in this print? Curator: What captures my attention are the material conditions and social dynamics evident in its production. As an engraving, the print inherently speaks to a specific mode of artistic labor and distribution during that period. Consider the economics of printmaking—who had access to this imagery, and how does that influence our understanding? Editor: That's a good point. Were prints like this common? I guess I'm thinking about accessibility and price points of art... Curator: Exactly. Engravings democratized images to a certain extent, yet the artisanal skill involved indicates a professionalized practice, one directly connected to markets and patronage. Are those gentlemen patrons? Consumers? Editor: I see your point. Now that I think about it, there is an oriental figure dressed in a distinctive garment in this image. Were they exoticising that figure to broaden market reach, and generate profit and influence via that kind of strategy? Curator: Precisely. It would be critical to analyse who consumed and commissioned works that depicted foreign sitters, the cultural framework through which it gained meaning and, ultimately, influenced our understanding of artistic creation, its dissemination, and its intersection with early modern culture and class. Editor: This engraving now seems way more complex. I hadn't initially considered the ways it was circulated back then and who saw it. Curator: Absolutely, considering the material circumstances encourages us to reflect critically on how we engage with this early print and other artworks as historical products with specific roles in early modern culture.