The destructing of the house of Baal 1565 - 1568

Editor: Here we have "The Destructing of the House of Baal," an engraving by Harmen Jansz. Muller from around 1565. It's so intricate, but chaotic. All these figures in the midst of destroying this idol... How would you approach this work? Curator: I find this engraving fascinating when we consider it as a product of its time and the labour involved in its creation. The lines, meticulously etched into a metal plate, speak volumes about the skill and the socioeconomic structures that supported such craft. Notice the violence enacted upon the idol. What does it signify about the relationship between image and power in that period? Editor: I guess it shows that the people wanted to eliminate that religion? Curator: Precisely, but more broadly, it makes a clear shift of social and religious power that also impacts the function of art production. Consider the material implications: the destruction of one set of crafted objects facilitates the construction of another ideology, also embedded in objects and architecture. Whose labor benefited from this shift? Where did the materials for the new constructions originate? Editor: So, you are saying it's less about the religious narrative and more about who benefits from that shift in power? Curator: Exactly! And about understanding how these shifts manifest materially in the world through labor and consumption. Think about how the act of creating this engraving itself—the resources, the skills, the marketplace—mirrors, in a way, the larger societal shifts depicted. Editor: That’s a very interesting way to look at it. I’ve never considered how the actual making of art can be connected to what it depicts. Curator: Indeed! It allows us to look past the immediate narrative. Hopefully, you learned something new today! Editor: Yes, thank you, I did learn something new. Thank you for your time!