Doornenkroning 1850 - 1900

Editor: So this is "Doornenkroning", or "Crowning with Thorns", a woodcut or engraving print made sometime between 1850 and 1900 by an artist only known as Monogrammist AC. It looks incredibly detailed for a small print. What do you see in this piece that might be missed at first glance? Curator: The immediate draw is its illustration of the labor involved. Engravings, particularly woodcuts, were not merely artistic expressions. They were reproductive technologies. The hand of the artist is ever present in the texture and in the mark-making in service of its means of production for mass consumption, think printed bibles. Editor: So you're saying this print had a practical, even commercial, function beyond just being art? Curator: Exactly! Prints like these played a crucial role in disseminating narratives, particularly religious ones. Consider the cultural context of the 19th century. This wasn't an isolated aesthetic choice; it was a mode of mass production reflecting – and influencing – the prevailing social and religious ideologies. Notice how the relatively accessible medium makes the historical narrative readily available. What's the cost? The labour. Editor: It’s interesting to think about this image being both art and commodity. Did the accessibility change how people engaged with religious stories at the time? Curator: That's a very insightful question! The scale of reproduction democratized information but also commercialized it, making it accessible, changing expectations, and demanding production. What do you take away from this interplay of art, religion, and materiality? Editor: I’ve never considered how a religious scene could also reflect production demands. It really complicates how we see images from this time! Curator: Precisely, and it highlights how deeply intertwined artistic practice is with material culture and social forces.