The Pancake Woman 1635

Editor: Here we have Rembrandt van Rijn's etching, "The Pancake Woman," from 1635. It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The scene is bustling and full of activity, yet something about the woman’s focused expression seems to anchor the entire piece. What's your take on this artwork? Curator: Considering this etching through a materialist lens brings forth several fascinating points. The very act of etching—the labor, the craft, the acid biting into the copper plate—speaks to a specific mode of production in 17th-century Holland. The resulting prints then circulated, becoming accessible commodities. Doesn't the image itself seem preoccupied with commerce? We see a woman, quite possibly working class, engaged in the very act of creating food to sell or feed her family. Consider, too, the materiality of pancakes themselves. Editor: The everyday aspect of pancake making is a contrast to, say, formal portraiture, right? Curator: Precisely! It blurs the lines between the so-called high art of painting and the craft of printmaking, further emphasizing the realities of labor and consumption in daily life. How are we to value this art that so closely reflects ordinary life, ordinary work? Rembrandt, by choosing this subject and mastering the etching technique, democratized art. Doesn't it ask us to value not only skill, but access? How does this distribution of imagery impact the understanding of social life, especially among the poor? Editor: So, beyond the artistry, it's also about the work and access to the image itself? That's fascinating! Curator: Exactly. And how that circulation, facilitated by printmaking technology, alters how individuals perceived themselves within that larger social framework. Editor: I'll never look at a pancake the same way again! Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Considering art through a materialist lens opens a pathway to reconsider our role in society.