Picknick in een bos c. 1726s

Curator: Here we have "Picknick in een bos," a print made circa the 1720s by Jean Moyreau, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. The Rococo style, combined with the figuration, gives this landscape a real sense of elegance, doesn’t it? Editor: Yes, a curious sense of staged leisure, but look at the material! It is interesting to examine the use of engraving, a printmaking process relying heavily on skilled labor to translate image to metal, then paper. What was the relationship between labor and leisure during the Rococo era? Curator: Indeed! And isn't it fascinating how they’ve arranged themselves in this bosky landscape? Look at the positioning. We have this collection of figures gathered seemingly by the edge of some kind of pool...almost performing. And what is the relevance of representing a meal taking place outdoors? Editor: Performing is right. Consider the performative aspect of "genre-painting" at this moment. It becomes clear the focus on depicting such elaborate clothing and accessories served the role of demonstrating access to material culture. This print facilitates circulation, mass distribution! It also demonstrates this lifestyle and desire on the consumer market, the very making and owning of the print, a piece of it. Curator: I'd agree. Also, a "picnic" in this setting represents something larger than simple sustenance, I believe. Consider the classical trope of Arcadia and pastoral idealism in conjunction with what you have brought to the table. The artist taps into established imagery associated with refinement and sophistication while perhaps hinting at artifice. Editor: Right! Moyreau isn't simply representing a scene, he's selling access to it through material culture. The texture of those gowns… look closely at the precision afforded by the process! The image creates and is sustained by a whole system. The content here is inextricable from the means of its production and consumption. Curator: The symbolism suggests that picnics, landscapes, are really mirrors reflecting a culture's aspiration for something elevated and refined. Editor: Precisely, we’re witnessing how deeply materiality informs culture and aspiration, then. Curator: Quite insightful. Thanks for unpacking the role and the reality of making this kind of image in the 18th century. Editor: And thank you for guiding our consideration of the complex symbolism presented.