Javaanse fruitsoorten 1847 - 1865

Editor: This print, “Javaanse fruitsoorten” by J. Schnell, dating from 1847 to 1865, shows an array of fruits in what looks like a landscape setting. It seems to blend a botanical illustration with a bit of romanticism, maybe even suggesting a plentiful harvest. What can we tell about its making and impact by looking closely at how it’s put together and how it presents these fruits? Curator: It’s interesting how you pick up on that tension. I think a materialist approach really highlights the colonial context baked into this “still life.” Consider the paper, probably shipped from Europe. The printmaking itself allowed for mass reproduction. This wasn’t a unique artwork for a wealthy patron, but something disseminated, showing fruits as commodities. What kind of labor do you imagine went into gathering, preparing, and classifying these fruits? Editor: I hadn't really considered that aspect, the fruits as commodities… So, it is a product of labor itself, the print, but it also represents the commodification and distribution of resources taken from other countries. Curator: Precisely! And consider the implied viewer – likely European, consuming images of exotic goods. What does this consumption tell us about the economic structures in place then? Also, it could easily act as advertisement; did the distribution facilitate consumerism or prompt exploration? Editor: That is so interesting. It shifts my understanding of the entire piece – it isn’t just a pretty botanical illustration; it reveals this whole network of production and distribution and even colonial desires! Curator: Exactly. And how do you think looking at other colonial-era depictions of resources or goods might change your understanding of these dynamics even further? The art becomes a starting point. Editor: It certainly gives me a new perspective and encourages me to delve a little deeper than what meets the eye at first glance. Thank you.