Kantpatroon voor een kleed van kloskant met goudenregentakken en -bloemen c. 1912

Editor: Here we have "Kantpatroon voor een kleed van kloskant met goudenregentakken en -bloemen," a lace pattern drawing with golden rain branches and flowers by Louise Wilhelmina van der Meulen-Nulle, around 1912. It's ink on paper, quite delicate, and it really shows the detail involved in lace making. What stands out to you about this pattern? Curator: I am drawn to this piece through a materialist lens, precisely because of the labor it represents. We see here the artist's hand in service of… textile production. Look at the intense detailing required for this lace pattern, destined to be translated into a material object of adornment or domestic use. Editor: So, it's more than just a pretty drawing? Curator: Precisely. Consider the socio-economic context. Art Nouveau often blurred the lines between fine art and craft. This pattern challenges that distinction. It elevates the skill of the lace maker while demanding considerable skill of the designer. This object wasn't meant to hang on a wall; it's a working drawing meant to result in the labor intensive product of lace. Editor: I see, so it’s not just about the image but about the process of creating lace and the hands involved. Curator: Exactly! We must ask about access to these luxury items and consider questions such as: Who wore this lace? Who made it, and under what conditions? How was it distributed? All of this shapes our understanding. It prompts questions around value: is this drawing worth more or less than the final lace product, and why? Editor: It gives a whole new appreciation for the amount of work involved. Thank you, I never would have thought of lace in terms of labour and social structures. Curator: It’s all about looking beyond the surface. Seeing art in the means and relations of production.