John Law in zijn zondagse pak, 1720 1662 - 1720

Editor: Here we have an engraving titled "John Law in zijn zondagse pak, 1720," dating back to between 1662 and 1720. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum, and it’s by an anonymous artist. It strikes me as quite detailed and dense with both image and text; almost like a political cartoon. What do you see in this piece, considering its context? Curator: From a materialist perspective, this print becomes incredibly rich. Consider the context: John Law was a central figure in a major economic bubble. The print, produced anonymously and likely circulated widely, wasn't just about depicting him, but about engaging with the very real anxieties surrounding finance and societal stability. Editor: So, the engraving itself becomes a tool of social commentary? Curator: Precisely. The lines, the paper, the act of printing multiple copies—these were all ways of distributing a very specific message to a wide audience, one deeply affected by Law's actions. Think about the labor involved in creating these prints, too. Anonymous printmakers giving voice to those concerns in society. How do the words integrated in the engraving alter your impression of it? Editor: They give voice to this anger towards John Law, they’re almost protesting. Curator: And isn't it fascinating how the image and the text work together? The detailed rendering of Law, perhaps meant to mock or satirize him, becomes amplified by the accompanying text. They’re using available resources at their disposal, the very media they can use. Editor: So it's less about admiring Law or the artist, and more about recognizing this artwork as an indictment? Curator: Absolutely. And recognizing the cultural context in which that indictment took physical, reproducible form. It’s a very clear demonstration of art as a material intervention in economic life. Editor: It's amazing how the print's existence itself is part of the story, that making the artwork accessible to society becomes the voice of social and financial unrest!