Vijf ontwerpen voor zoutvaten 1738 - 1749

Curator: This print from somewhere between 1738 and 1749 showcases "Vijf ontwerpen voor zoutvaten" or "Five Designs for Salt Cellars." The printmaker was Gabriel Huquier. They’re currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. What strikes you first? Editor: Utter, unbridled opulence, even in these spare lines! They're like edible thrones for grains of salt. The Baroque just *dripping* off them, isn't it? I can practically taste the decadence. Curator: It's that theatricality, right? Baroque always makes me think about power, about display. Salt cellars might seem mundane, but rendered like this, they become miniature monuments to wealth. They remind me how design was integral to demonstrating social status in the 18th century. Editor: And that obsession with nature, twisting and exaggerating it. These shell forms… they’re real, yet they’re so unreal. What do you think they tell us about the period's relationship with the natural world? More decoration and status, then actually respecting nature? Curator: Precisely. Nature tamed, harnessed, brought indoors to signal a mastery over the world. The salt cellar designs speak to the growing colonial networks in the 18th century, as new maritime trade routes allowed the importation of exotic shells and goods. Also I find it hard not to think about sustainability, but alas, I suppose such was simply not the priority. Editor: Thinking of sustainability does jar it out of its moment, though. Back then these were probably intended as a blueprint for actual objects—crafted from metal. Glimmering centerpieces on a dining table. Makes you wonder who owned the finished product of something like this, huh? Curator: Absolutely. Only the elites, certainly, those capable of commissioning such intricate pieces. This print then circulates ideas to other craftsmen, to prospective clients. The circulation of design and influence, shaping taste, bolstering a world view of elite tastes and power, through art and even objects, great and small. Editor: Yeah, small containers that reflect such large statements about an era. I love that. Gives you something to think about while you, know, salt your fries or something. Curator: Exactly. Next time you sprinkle salt, remember these little monuments. Maybe use just a little less… for old time's sake and also, the planet’s.