Circe II 1880 - 1932

Editor: Here we have "Circe II" by Henri van der Stok, made sometime between 1880 and 1932. It’s a woodcut print currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I’m really drawn to the stark contrast and how the figures almost blend with the geometric, almost Art Deco, background. What do you see in this piece, particularly from a material perspective? Curator: I'm interested in the artist’s choice of woodcut as a medium, especially given the context. Woodcut, a relatively accessible and reproducible form, democratizes the image. Van der Stok uses a craft often associated with folk art to depict a mythological subject linked to power and transformation. It begs the question: Who was the intended audience and how does this choice impact the reading of the work? Consider the laborious act of carving the block versus the potential for mass production. Editor: That’s fascinating. I hadn't thought about the tension between the effort of creating the block and its reproducibility. How does this intersect with the themes of eroticism and transformation in the image itself? Curator: Precisely. Is Van der Stok hinting at the transformative power held not only by Circe, but also by the *process* of art-making? Eroticism becomes commodified, distributed, consumed. Is this a critique of societal consumption, of the male gaze? We also need to investigate where the artist learned these techniques and with what socioeconomic background and social networks they operated. What labor went into the artmaking? These would all affect my reading of the work and its place within history. Editor: So it’s less about the singular artistic vision and more about understanding how the art object is embedded within networks of labor and distribution. Thanks, that really shifts my understanding of this print. Curator: Indeed, focusing on materials and process allows us to see how art both reflects and shapes social forces.