Figuren in een keuken waarin een varken wordt uitgebeend 1869 - 1936

Editor: Here we have Theodorus Henricus Kerstel's "Figuren in een keuken waarin een varken wordt uitgebeend," or "Figures in a Kitchen Disemboweling a Pig," dating from 1869 to 1936, using ink and pen. It's held at the Rijksmuseum. I'm struck by the scene's domesticity mixed with...well, the very un-domestic act of butchering a pig. It’s all so matter-of-fact. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Matter-of-fact is a good way to put it. It feels like peering into another world, doesn’t it? A world where this kind of work, the labour of preparing food, was just part of daily life, not hidden away in factories and supermarkets. And there’s something inherently captivating in the juxtaposition of those almost cherubic children watching so intently. Do you find it disturbing, or merely curious? I think the curiosity makes this interesting. I almost want to join them. Editor: It is interesting, rather than disturbing, you are right, although it does take me aback. I wonder why Kerstel chose to depict it? What did he want to express? Curator: Ah, now there’s the artist’s eternal riddle! Maybe it was a longing for a simpler time, or simply an honest recording of life as he knew it. These kinds of genre scenes were popular, and they also offer the beauty to make something real, a tangible record. Art offers us a moment, to consider mortality, domesticity, tradition. Editor: It makes you think about where your food comes from. Curator: Precisely! And art’s capacity to yank us from our comfort zones, question our modern sensibilities. And isn't it charming how even dark topics can reveal glimpses of unexpected humanity? Editor: Definitely. Thanks, I will think about where the food is coming from next time I order!