Gezicht op Abdij Leeuwenhorst 1742 - 1784

Editor: Here we have Hendrik Spilman’s "View of Leeuwenhorst Abbey," an engraving from between 1742 and 1784. It's quite detailed, almost like a photograph. What draws your eye when you look at it? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the engraving process itself. Spilman meticulously cuts into the metal to create this image. Think of the labour involved, the tools used, the specific inks… He wasn't just depicting the abbey, he was engaging with a whole system of production and distribution of images. Editor: So you see it as less about the idyllic landscape and more about the method? Curator: Exactly! Look at the uniformity of the lines, the way light and shadow are rendered. It speaks to the emerging print culture of the time and how these images became commodities. How do you think the accessibility of such images influenced perceptions of places like Leeuwenhorst Abbey? Editor: Well, maybe it brought awareness… showed people a different side of religious life, made it more accessible? Curator: Precisely. Consider who was buying and consuming these prints. It likely wasn't the residents of the abbey. It suggests a growing consumer base, hungry for images of places and things beyond their immediate experience. The materials used, the engraving process, all of that contributed to the cultural landscape. Editor: That shifts my perspective entirely. I was so focused on the buildings themselves. Curator: It's about looking beyond the surface representation to the underlying systems of production and consumption, challenging that idea of ‘high art’. The material reality shapes our understanding of the image, the abbey, and even the society of the time. Editor: I see that. I’m learning to appreciate it for the sheer amount of work it takes to create a single piece. Curator: Precisely. The labor, the material, the process—these are key. Hopefully, this highlights that every piece has a story embedded within it that extends beyond aesthetics alone.