Mismaakte gezigten 1825 - 1838

Editor: Here we have T.L. Thompson's "Mismaakte Gezigten," created between 1825 and 1838. It looks like a print with ink and watercolor, residing here at the Rijksmuseum. It's got a whimsical, almost silly feel with these strange caricatures in each little box. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The print is quite intriguing from a materialist perspective. Consider the means of production: etching, likely done in multiples. This puts it firmly in the realm of popular consumption. Who was buying these "mismade faces," and why? Were they affordable for commoners, or were they solely the amusement of the wealthy? Also note Thompson identifies himself as a seller ‘on the Hoogstraat.’ Rotterdam was a centre for printing, suggesting Thompson produced this print himself for commercial benefit. The choice of watercolour—often seen as ‘domestic’—is also interesting. Does that challenge traditional distinctions between craft and high art? Editor: So, the *how* it was made and *who* consumed it are central to understanding its meaning? Curator: Precisely. The labor involved, the affordability, and the target audience. Consider the figures themselves. Are they critiques of societal types? Or mere visual entertainment disconnected from social realities? The answer lies in unraveling the networks of production and consumption. Editor: It makes you wonder about the social commentary embedded in seemingly lighthearted images. Thinking about the print as a manufactured object aimed at a specific audience provides a new framework. Curator: Absolutely, and remembering that art making is work – skilled work to be sure. Editor: I’ll never look at seemingly simple illustrations the same way again. Curator: And that's the goal, to recognize that meaning lies within and beyond the aesthetic qualities of an artwork.