Drie schelvissen op het strand 1664

Curator: Immediately, there's a stark contrast. These dead fish feel so heavy and inert, while the boats and birds in the background seem so alive and free. Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at is Albert Flamen's "Three Haddock on the Beach," created in 1664. It's an etching, placing it within the rich tradition of Dutch Golden Age printmaking. Curator: The materiality of the print enhances its thematic content, the etching's stark monochrome further emphasizes the somber mood. Notice how the linear strokes carve the forms of the fish, creating texture and weight through an elaborate play of light and shadow. It reminds one of memento mori, reminding us of our own mortality. Editor: Absolutely. The work reflects the growing market economy of the Dutch Golden Age and it portrays, with striking realism, these fish as commodities. One could analyze the work as revealing the societal shift from seeing food merely as subsistence to recognizing it as a profitable product. It also hints at themes such as abundance, trade, and our relationship with the natural world during the Dutch maritime expansion. Curator: And that detailed realism forces us to confront the animal, doesn't it? It's not simply a picturesque element. It evokes feelings of something cold and silent in contrast to the distant view, accentuating the sensory immediacy in this intimate etching, especially with their mouths slightly ajar. Editor: These printed images served a purpose in disseminating information and shaping perspectives within their communities. They demonstrate the society’s interaction and commercial exploitation of marine life and provide insights into early capitalist attitudes and structures. Curator: Looking again at how those parallel lines create such dense shadows on the fish’s scales... it's almost overwhelming. You made me reflect about Flamen's awareness in the materiality of commerce itself. Editor: Indeed. I think considering the etching in its social and commercial milieu makes it all the richer.