XLIV Telt wat ick segh 1614

Curator: Here we have "XLIV Telt wat ick segh," an engraving by Roemer Visscher, dating back to 1614. It's currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It’s quite stark, isn’t it? The contrast in the engraving makes the bell leap out—it really commands your attention despite the small scale. I immediately notice the hammer and hand in opposition to it. Curator: The title, "Count what I say," provides a crucial entry point, especially given the historical context. It connects to Dutch proverbs of the time. The piece itself comes at a pivotal moment where we see the intersection of labor and commerce in Dutch society being defined and the use of common public property of the sounding clock. Editor: Absolutely. And looking closely at the material execution, one can consider the repetitive act of striking the metal bell. Someone made this to indicate and control hours, thus also indirectly affecting people’s bodies—the way the labor must have been regimented and attuned to the sounding bell and what it symbolizes. Curator: Precisely, we can interpret the image through the lens of class and time itself, how it dictates when one works and when one rests. Furthermore, considering how time impacts daily rituals that concern power and class struggle and what is being produced, what and whom is this work intended for. It also provides commentary on the working body as the arm readies the mallet for labor. Editor: Indeed. Considering it as a print, it circulated to become accessible across the early Dutch republic and its territories, allowing for wide reach. One imagines these printed images as the news of the day. So, the use of paper here facilitates that dispersal. Curator: It really brings forth interesting narratives about society, work, identity, and knowledge, don't you think? Editor: It certainly gives a voice to objects to narrate larger sociopolitical and material conditions in the time it was made. Curator: A concise perspective. Thank you.