Man met hoed gezeten op de hoek van een straat bij een kist en aap 1825 - 1863

Curator: What a melancholic scene. There’s such an air of isolation to it. Editor: That's what I find interesting about "Man met hoed gezeten op de hoek van een straat bij een kist en aap," dating between 1825 and 1863 and currently held in the Rijksmuseum. Look closely, it is an engraving, a print really, crafted by Guillaume Joseph Vertommen. The sheer labor involved in creating that fine detail… Curator: Absolutely. Think of the street scenes Vertommen would have observed, sketching surreptitiously perhaps, considering the social standing afforded artists then, observing this individual with his ape and box… I wonder about the performance. Editor: Yes, performance. And perhaps economic hardship. We see an itinerant entertainer, plying his trade at the whim of passersby. It speaks to the underclass and the means by which individuals existed, scraping together resources. Curator: But what of the production? Vertommen uses etching to such a realist conclusion. He had a strong comprehension of light, particularly given how well the detail stands out within such stark monochrome. And why the hat, do you think? Editor: The hat could symbolize his trade, his role in the public sphere. And beyond the symbolism is the material culture: where did he buy his clothes, how were they produced, by whom, under what circumstances? Think of the networks of production, exploitation even. Curator: All framed by this idea of public spectacle, what did seeing such a man represent? Was it a commonplace experience, an outlier even, depending on the economic landscape in urban locations? Editor: Indeed. By examining the artwork we glean insight into systems of labor and economy… things as basic and poignant as survival within communities that may, or may not, support it. Curator: A humbling slice of historical narrative beautifully immortalized by Vertommen's expert touch. Editor: Yes. The materials and processes tell more than the immediate visual suggests.