Verkoper van linten, kant en naalden 1660

Editor: So, here we have Giuseppe Maria Mitelli’s "Verkoper van linten, kant en naalden," from 1660, held here at the Rijksmuseum. It's an engraving, giving it this really detailed, linear quality. I find him a little unsettling; there's a certain directness in his gaze, considering he is missing a leg. What do you make of this piece? Curator: It’s interesting you find him unsettling. I see it as Mitelli offering us a glimpse into 17th-century street life and the public’s perception of disability. This print wasn't meant for a high-art audience. It was circulated as a cheap, accessible image of everyday life for ordinary people. Editor: So, like a kind of visual journalism of its time? Capturing these kinds of lives? Curator: Precisely. Think about how social structures defined people's roles and status. The print highlights the realities of poverty and how some individuals had to navigate a society that offered them few opportunities. Consider the visual language. Mitelli presents him with a large hat and slightly tattered clothes, perhaps alluding to this struggle. Editor: That makes me think about the caption. Do you think it reinforces or subverts those societal expectations? Curator: Ah, an interesting point! How do *you* read it? It mentions he’s selling lace and ribbons. Could it be a commentary on the accessibility of even luxury items, or perhaps a jab at the social hierarchies of the time? By selling notions he is ‘Divine’ or he ‘Is lame.’ Editor: I never considered that before. I think the details – like the ribbons – become less about pretty accessories and more about how economic systems function. Curator: Exactly! It’s through understanding its social and historical context, how and for whom art was created, that these visual fragments gain greater clarity. Editor: Wow, thanks. I definitely see so much more in it now. It’s fascinating to think of this print as a kind of socio-political commentary.