Straatventer met gipsbeeldjes Possibly 1772 - 1833

Mathias de Sallieth made this print, "Street vendor with plaster figurines," using etching. Looking at this print, made in the late 18th century, we can ask: what were the economic and institutional conditions that allowed street vendors like this one to operate and for artists to depict them? The Dutch Republic in this period was a mercantile society, with a relatively free market that allowed for this kind of informal commerce to flourish. The vendor's wares, small plaster figurines, were cheap reproductions of classical or religious sculptures, reflecting the widespread taste for neoclassical art among the Dutch middle class. The Rijksmuseum, where this print is housed, is an institution dedicated to preserving and displaying Dutch art and history. As a historian, I would want to research the museum's collection policies and exhibition practices to understand how it shapes our understanding of Dutch culture and identity.