Portret van Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679) op ivoor 17th century

Editor: This is a 17th-century portrait of Joost van den Vondel, attributed to Clemens Nachtegaal. It’s an engraving, incredibly detailed despite its small size. I’m struck by how the texture of the ivory itself must have influenced the creation of this piece. What does this work evoke for you? Curator: Let’s think about the implications of ivory. It signifies luxury, access, and global trade routes heavily implicated in exploitation. An engraving is a reproducible medium, but the choice of ivory limits its reach to a privileged sphere. This tension between the reproducibility of the engraving and the exclusivity of the material interests me. How does the selection of ivory affect the meaning, would you say? Editor: It suggests that even with engravings meant for wider distribution, the physical artwork retained an aura of exclusivity and served to show off the patron’s taste and means. The texture, too: I imagine the engraver had to adjust their technique for this medium. Curator: Exactly! The labour involved in adapting the engraving process to ivory – the specialized tools, the skill required – all speak to a hierarchy of making. We are often stuck in debates regarding high and low art that were meant to devalue "craft". Considering all these aspects gives us access to the means of artistic production. What else do you notice about the materials, the way they're used, or what that choice could mean in 17th-century Dutch society? Editor: Thinking about the tools and labor definitely provides a different way of seeing the piece and how it might have been perceived at the time. I had been concentrating on its aesthetic. Curator: Precisely. The value is not simply in the image, but also in how the very means of its creation reinforced social and economic structures.