Drie friezen met vuurdoornbessen, forel en aralia before 1897

Editor: Here we have *Drie friezen met vuurdoornbessen, forel en aralia*, or *Three Friezes with Firethorn Berries, Trout and Aralia*, created before 1897. It's an engraving, a kind of print. It strikes me as interesting how disparate the three bands seem; almost like separate studies of line and form. What can you tell me about it? Curator: I see these as examples of mass production applied to design. Art Nouveau valued beauty in everyday objects, making them more accessible through printing technology. The focus is shifted from the artist's hand to the mechanics of reproduction. Editor: So you’re saying that the material and means of production, engraving in this case, influenced the image as much as any aesthetic choice? Curator: Exactly. Think about the labor involved in creating these plates, the standardization required for mass production, and the intended consumption of these images. Are these intended to be art objects, or source material for design? Consider the social context: the rise of industrialization and its impact on art and craft. Editor: I guess I hadn’t considered how the context of production itself can define the intention of an image. Does that lessen the impact of the imagery for you? Curator: Not necessarily. It changes how we understand the piece. We're not looking at a unique creation, but a mass-produced design element that blurs the lines between art, craft, and industry. It shows me the democratization of art that industrialization permitted at the time. Editor: I never considered it that way, seeing it in terms of accessibility, rather than dilution. I think I understand a lot more now. Curator: Seeing the materiality of this print, and the implied intention of mass-production techniques, truly changes its appeal.