Trap des ouderdoms 1848 - 1881

Curator: This is "The Stairway of Old Age" created by Lutkie & Cranenburg between 1848 and 1881. It's a lithograph, a print. The overall mood feels a bit…storybook-like, even though it depicts aging. The figures ascend these numbered platforms until they meet what I assume is death at the bottom. What jumps out to you? Editor: I'm struck by the commercial nature of the print; it's almost like a board game about the stages of life. The medium feels significant here - it’s not an oil painting meant for a wealthy patron, but a widely reproducible lithograph. What does that materiality tell us? Curator: Exactly! Consider the lithograph’s production, enabling distribution to a broader, middle-class audience interested in moralizing narratives. Its function lies in accessibility. Notice the assembly-line character of the image, almost like a flowchart; does that make you consider the division of labor that may have been required for mass producing this work? Editor: That's fascinating! I hadn't thought about the labor aspect, but that makes sense. Was this sort of allegorical print a common product of the printing press, catering to certain sensibilities of the masses? Curator: Yes. The commercial element can’t be overlooked. How it was distributed is a central concern. We are looking at how consumer demand drives not just artistic creation but shapes its accessibility to varied social stratifications, what thoughts does it evoke concerning accessibility versus elite art? Editor: I never considered a piece of art, as something akin to mass media, and its accessibility for everyone. Thank you for your insightful perspective. I am forever changed, in considering materials and labour!