Het feest der handwerkslieden c. 1843 - 1920

Anton Muttenthaler created this print called 'The Guildsmen's Feast' sometime in the mid-19th century. It offers us a glimpse into the vibrant culture of trade guilds in German-speaking lands. Each tier of the print showcases a different guild. Bakers parade enormous pretzels and loaves, butchers lead a decorated bull, tailors display oversized scissors and clothes and brewers are pulling along a wagon-sized beer stein. The image creates meaning through visual codes, historical association, and cultural references to guild traditions. Made in a period of industrialization, the image celebrates the traditional crafts, and the close-knit communities of artisans. Was it self-consciously conservative? Did it critique the changing social structure of the time? As historians, our understanding is enriched by researching guild records, period accounts, and visual culture archives. The meaning of art like this is contingent on its social and institutional context, and repays careful attention.