Annunciatie 1831 - 1904

Curator: Editor: So, we’re looking at a drawing titled "Annunciatie," dating roughly from 1831 to 1904, made with pen and ink by Arnoud Schaepkens. It's a very stark image. What catches my eye is its…unfinished quality, the visible underdrawing. What's your interpretation of this work? Curator: The underdrawing is critical. Note how the artist exposes the labor and process usually hidden in a finished work. What was the economic status of Arnoud Schaepkens and what did the commission involve? How do we see that in his work? Editor: I don’t know much about his economic status or commissions, actually. But does that relate to his choice of materials, or how the work was created? Is the lack of "finish" a comment on accessible art practices of the time? Curator: Precisely. Ink and pen were accessible, but also associated with artisanal practices outside of 'high art'. Notice, too, the almost mass-produced aesthetic of the lines. What does it say about art production during this period if traditional religious scenes are created with simple and perhaps cheaper materials? Editor: So, instead of gilded altarpieces, it's like a drawing mimicking medieval art through readily available media. It recontextualizes the Annunciation for, perhaps, a broader audience, using a more humble material? Curator: Exactly! Consider how this reframes our understanding of religious art – it moves from divine, inaccessible objects to something replicable, accessible through common materials and perhaps echoing socialist art ideals of making accessible to everyone! This transforms our consumption of not only this piece, but high art in general. Editor: I never considered the impact of just the choice of pen and ink and that underdrawing to tell that kind of story about labor and access! Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. Considering the means of production allows us a new way to perceive even familiar, conventional themes like this one.