Stilleven met aardbeien en kan 1924

Curator: Standing before us is Jean Emile Laboureur's 1924 print, "Stilleven met aardbeien en kan," or "Still Life with Strawberries and Pitcher." It’s rendered in graphite, giving it a wonderfully subtle texture. Editor: My first thought is that there is a refreshing austerity about it. The stark black and white contrasts draw me into a rather tranquil and sparse image, not at all sentimental. Curator: Right, let's delve into the processes at work here. Laboureur, known for his involvement in various printmaking techniques, certainly puts emphasis on his method. Look at the cross-hatching used to give dimension to the strawberries – a clear focus on process and technique. How does the image seem to explore consumption or domestic labor? Editor: I think the objects offer symbolic cues beyond the purely functional. Strawberries, throughout history, represent more than just a delicious treat. The leaves have connotations of modesty and righteousness while strawberries themselves are emblems of paradise. It speaks volumes about longing, desire, perhaps even ephemeral fulfillment. Notice, too, how the pitcher appears rather unadorned besides a modest, simple tulip pattern which signifies perfect love in some traditions, or perhaps an element of Dutch culture as this is a French artist’s perspective. Curator: Ah, I see where you're going. Considering those associations, how does Laboureur use line and texture to enhance these symbols? For example, how does the etching impact our perception of the material properties of these everyday items? Is the smoothness of the pitcher contrasted deliberately against the knobbly texture he gives the fruit? Editor: The contrast between those textures certainly directs the eye. Strawberries and cream or in a bowl as dessert – this evokes notions of warmth and community for people, that would've seen those themes played out across artwork in any culture across the planet at any time period. We also notice a hint of tension; even that leaf slightly hanging off to the side hints at change and impermanence and life as a sweet delicacy soon savoured. Curator: Interesting how a print of relatively common objects can still yield so much to consider about materiality, craft, and process within our daily lives. Thank you. Editor: Indeed, and it makes one consider how the most ubiquitous of imagery can trigger such evocative and shared feelings across cultural experience and time.