Lint van crèmekleurig gaas van 15 meter c. 1900 - 1915

Here we see a fifteen-meter ribbon of cream-colored gauze. It was made by Gustav Schnitzler at an unknown date. Textiles like this existed in a complex social world. They were shaped by patterns of consumption, production, and trade. They were often a key element of global capitalism. By looking at this object, we can ask interesting questions about global manufacturing. Who made it? Where? And what did it mean to them? What were their working conditions? To what extent did they have control over their lives and the lives of their families? What global trade networks was it part of? How was it marketed and sold? What role did it play in consumer culture? Answering these questions isn't always easy, of course. But that's where the art historian comes in! We can investigate historical archives, trade records, and economic data. Only by doing this can we understand an artwork like this ribbon as a product of social and institutional forces.