Fish Market 1568

Curator: This is "Fish Market" painted in 1568 by Joachim Beuckelaer. It is currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: What immediately strikes me is the incredible texture rendered through oil. You can practically smell the fish! And there's such an abundance of it. How were these market scenes perceived then? Curator: Beuckelaer and his contemporaries, like Aertsen, were pioneering these market scenes in the 16th century. What’s so striking is the labor presented right there on the table, the skill in butchering, the raw materials on full display, the food, and its origins. The artist invites us to look closer and understand the process. Editor: That’s a great point. Early still life, or scenes of everyday life, played a pivotal role in forming our understandings of wealth, trade and culture, and what was valuable to society. Were these kinds of public displays controversial in any way? Curator: In fact, religious and political symbolism often lay beneath the surface of these paintings. The excess of fish, could perhaps represent a criticism of excess wealth amidst poverty in the area. In the distance there are also several figures waiting in the distance. The people look relatively downtrodden in contrast. Editor: Fascinating. I am impressed how Beuckelaer utilizes different painting techniques to distinguish different elements of the market scene. And consider that this work, its existence and preservation, also relies on centuries of institutional and private patronage and access. Curator: Exactly, without those power structures this piece and countless others might have ceased to exist and be available for viewing by the masses, today. I suppose looking at “Fish Market,” and paintings like it, forces us to think about those socio-economic factors across time. Editor: And hopefully that prompts consideration about access and labor involved with the piece even now. Thanks.