Jonge vrouw met vruchten en korenaren 1695 - 1697

Curator: Oh, it's got that wonderfully wistful, slightly faded feeling. Like a half-remembered dream from childhood summers. Editor: Well, this piece titled "Jonge vrouw met vruchten en korenaren," or "Young Woman with Fruit and Ears of Wheat," dates back to around 1695-1697. It’s attributed to Pieter van den Berge and held here at the Rijksmuseum. Looking closely, we can see it’s a mix of engraving and ink on paper. Curator: Right, that’s what gives it that precise yet airy quality. She's standing there so serene, offering her summer bounty while a mischievous young boy tries to grab a treat. What do you notice about how it was made? Editor: For me, it’s fascinating to consider the printmaking process. Think about the skilled labor, the tools needed to create the engraving, the types of paper and ink used—every choice reflecting economic and social realities of the late 17th century. This wasn't just art; it was commerce. The act of printing multiplied images and reach. Curator: I see what you mean. I think about how someone meticulously etched that image into a plate. It is not exactly a portrait but the young lady offers all these fresh ingredients as if she wants to show them or she wants to share them. All this work only to create more joy. You know, for me the most interesting part is this figure representing Summer, holding both fruit and wheat! I almost hear that poem below... but in Dutch! Editor: Ah yes, the little verse about Summer’s gifts written at the bottom adds another dimension. To delve deeper, the composition is divided clearly in two sides: cultivated abundance, but also innocence and joy in reaching out for what is available to be taken. Curator: Looking at the work in its entirely, I can not escape thinking on nostalgia, it makes me want to return to these places by the water in which time stands still, where someone once drew us on paper with delicacy. Editor: Thinking of all that physical work of printing, maybe it can be done again, digitally, nowadays, or it can only last forever by standing behind a crystal showcase?