Drie oude vrouwen kijken naar een schilderij van een kat 1753 - 1808

Curator: What a curious and charming scene. We're looking at "Three Old Women Looking at a Painting of a Cat" by David Deuchar, created sometime between 1753 and 1808. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It feels almost like a comedic sketch, the way the women are clustered together, intensely studying that cat portrait. The etched lines give it a delicate, slightly worn feeling. Curator: Absolutely. Deuchar worked in etching, a printmaking technique where lines are incised into a metal plate using acid, which then holds ink and transfers the image to paper. What do you make of the choice of subject here? The three women seem like archetypes. Editor: It really points to a clear relationship between the means of artistic production and social status, doesn’t it? Deuchar's focus on elderly women as artistic consumers challenges notions of value. Were they considered the 'wrong' consumers? Perhaps not intellectual enough, too frivolous? How labor and artistic intention affect the materials displayed really interests me. Curator: I agree! There's also a clear link here between how femininity is constructed and assigned value. The image subverts assumptions, showing these women engaged in a pursuit considered high-brow—analyzing art. Is this a commentary on the accessibility of art at the time, and for whom? Editor: It is certainly a sharp observation of its context and audience. And look, the details in the artist's palette hint at labor, almost making the material a character itself. Curator: True, the placement is interesting, it looks like the women could care less for that raw process. What else strikes you about the work? Editor: Well, beyond the palpable engagement of the women in the artmaking practice, I think the way he handles line work to depict wrinkles and fabrics adds a depth that a simple illustration would lack. Curator: This definitely pushes viewers to consider how notions of class, gender, and age intersect with artistic interpretation, opening discussions about who has the power to engage with art and on what terms. Editor: Exactly! And through emphasizing his etched mark, Deuchar's artwork makes me re-evaluate both the depicted work and the process required to share these people and the labor involved in bringing such social commentary to light.