Allegorie op wolhandel in Leiden 1763

Curator: Welcome. Here we have "Allegorie op wolhandel in Leiden," created in 1763 by Abraham Delfos. It's an etching and engraving, a print, depicting an allegory on the wool trade in Leiden. Editor: Well, right off the bat, there's a stiffness here, isn't there? Like a theatrical tableau, everything arranged just so. Very precise, almost too deliberate to really breathe. Curator: Indeed. The composition is carefully structured with its foreground figures, central symbolic frame, and the background cityscape. Observe how the artist uses allegorical figures and symbols to represent concepts and places. Note the two putti, framing bales of wool marked with "LC," standing for Leiden. Editor: The wool is definitely the star. The cherubic figures seem almost secondary to those impressively stacked bales. It makes you wonder about Leiden, what wool meant to the city, like a golden fleece, promising prosperity. And the guys look like they’re just playing cards instead of actively being industrious... it's interesting. Curator: That is astute. The prosperity of Leiden truly did depend on the wool trade. The symbolism in this piece operates on multiple levels. Consider, for example, the central coat-of-arms featuring crossed keys, symbolizing Saint Peter and hence, by extension, the city itself. Also observe the figures on each side and their relative roles. The standing male in Western garb looking proud as opposed to the reclining, nearly discarded bales in the lower register on the other side... Editor: They give you the sense that hard work and innovation pay off. Is that woman on the left supposed to be commerce? She seems to be admiring what seems to be an infinite braid or wool of some kind, very peculiar. It gives off a weird vibe in the piece, overall. What an era, so much complexity and meaning interwoven! What strikes me most is how it encapsulates this potent moment where craft, industry, and art collide to exalt a city’s lifeblood. Curator: Yes, I agree with the collision of all of these themes that give shape to an image. Looking closely we come to understand the social and economic context in which such allegories thrived, telling a story of commerce, civic pride, and artistic representation all carefully woven together in a print. Thank you for joining us.