Twee putschoonmakers 1660

Editor: We're looking at "Two Well Cleaners," a 1660 etching by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, housed at the Rijksmuseum. My first impression is of intense labor; the way the figures are straining under such heavy loads... It looks almost comical, and exhausting. What leaps out at you when you see this piece? Curator: Comical and exhausting—that nails it! For me, it’s the contrast. We have these figures, grounded in this really physical, almost brutal labor, rendered with such delicate lines. It feels like Mitelli is playing with our expectations, no? Showing the mundane, but with a touch of artistry. Look at the expressiveness in their straining bodies—did every day workers really strike such dramatic poses? I doubt it. Editor: Definitely! And it seems more theatrical than practical. It's not how I would choose to haul things. So is he idealizing the every day person? Curator: Perhaps not idealizing, but… immortalizing? Giving these fleeting moments of labor a sense of importance, of permanence, through the act of art. This print, though small, shouts with the everyday hustle and grind of life. See that the inscription also mentions going to “rechear la luna." I feel Mitelli is speaking of finding light even in daily drudgery and burden, if that doesn’t sound too fanciful. Editor: No, not at all! That feels right, actually. Seeing the weight, and then this call for some light-- the two ideas really play off of each other. Curator: Exactly! And isn't that the joy of art, especially something like a simple etching from 1660? It reminds us to see poetry in unexpected places. And always question whether folks look the same carrying well-cleaning gear after it passes through an artist’s hands and their particular vision. Editor: That's a beautiful way to put it. Thanks for opening my eyes to that!