Wolf vangt een haan 1734 - 1784

Editor: Here we have Gottlieb Friedrich Riedel's engraving, "Wolf Vangt een Haan," dating roughly between 1734 and 1784. The scene, a wolf attacking a rooster, is surprisingly domestic amidst the backdrop. What catches your eye in this print? Curator: I’m immediately drawn to the materiality. This isn't a painting attempting to disguise itself; it embraces its identity as an engraving. The artist’s labor is evident in the network of etched lines. The lines form not only the figures but also a social narrative, pitting domesticated animals against a predator. Editor: A social narrative? How so? Curator: Consider the historical context. This was produced during a period where printed images circulated widely. The materials—paper, ink, and the metal plate—enabled mass production and dissemination of these scenes. Therefore, what social conditions could support and consume artwork such as this? Did the act of representing it impact how people view nature and its food chain? Editor: I never considered how the medium itself contributed to the artwork's meaning! Does the contrast between the precise lines and the chaotic action speak to any social or economic tensions of the period? Curator: Precisely. The precise lines and composition may be reflecting an attempt to create a structured narrative within an unpredictable environment. What this artwork consumed and offered were glimpses of power. It underscores an early fascination with cycles and social commentary through visual depiction, fundamentally impacting consumer perception of social roles and consumption, which has persisted to the present day. Editor: So, looking at it from a materialist lens gives a richer, broader interpretation of its artistic significance and what kind of audience consumed art in the first place! Curator: Exactly. Examining the "Wolf Vangt een Haan" through this lens provides new insights that other frameworks would struggle to reach.