Wapen van de families Van Wassenaer en Van Matenesse 1579

Editor: Here we have Hendrick Goltzius's "Wapen van de families Van Wassenaer en Van Matenesse" from 1579, currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. It's an engraving, giving it this incredibly detailed, almost miniature feel. I'm curious – what aspects of the printmaking process and its cultural moment do you find most striking in this piece? Curator: For me, it's about understanding the means of production and circulation. Engravings like this were essentially reproductive technologies. Think about it: Goltzius, an accomplished artist, using his skill to disseminate imagery of power – these family crests. It highlights the role of printmaking in solidifying social hierarchies through material objects. Consider the skilled labour involved, the copper plate, the ink, the press - a whole workshop dedicated to producing multiple copies. Editor: So, you see the value not just in the design itself, but in its accessibility due to printmaking? Curator: Exactly. It disrupts the idea of the singular, precious artwork. How does the act of creating multiples alter our understanding of its value, both economic and cultural? These prints would have been commodities, exchanged and collected. It points to the growing importance of visual culture in constructing and maintaining social status in the 16th century. What do you make of the linear quality that's unique to engraving? Editor: It emphasizes the precision and craft. It suggests control, perhaps mirroring the control these families exerted in society. The labor behind creating such minute details using such a technique seems immense. Curator: Precisely! The choice of engraving, its meticulousness, speaks to the desired impact: permanence and authority. Editor: This has changed my perception. I initially saw it as just a symbolic emblem, but now I appreciate how deeply intertwined its production is with social and economic structures of the time. Curator: Indeed, seeing art through the lens of materials and production opens up a new appreciation for its complexities.