Dichtkunst, schilderkunst en beeldhouwkunst 1779

Editor: Here we have "Dichtkunst, schilderkunst en beeldhouwkunst" from 1779 by Gottlieb Friedrich Riedel, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It's a pen and ink drawing of symbolic arrangements representing poetry, painting, and sculpture. I'm struck by its old engraving style, like something from a historical document. What can you tell me about this work and its cultural context? Curator: Well, considering its time, we can explore it through the lens of the late 18th century art academies. The arrangement—and the *grouping* of the arts—was itself a political statement. Art academies aimed to elevate the status of artists within society, which had faced considerable opposition in prior centuries. Editor: Elevate? How so? Curator: Before academies, artistic skill was often seen as a craft, not an intellectual pursuit. Academies provided formal training, theoretical frameworks, and importantly, exhibition spaces. "Dichtkunst, schilderkunst en beeldhouwkunst" showcases the values that academies sought to promote—reason, skill, and a deep connection to classical tradition, all working together, like different cogs in a great, well-oiled aesthetic machine. The pen strokes, composition, everything! Editor: So, this wasn't just art *about* art; it was a piece meant to affect art's very place in society? Curator: Precisely. And the choice of media — drawing, printmaking — meant these images could be disseminated widely. Making arguments, spreading specific messages that could shift opinion about the fine arts. So, considering Riedel's drawing as an artifact *of* this project of social change, helps us see its true power. Editor: I never considered it that way. Seeing the political intent behind what appears like a simple sketch...it gives it a whole new meaning!