Lachende jongen met een glas in de hand 1628 - 1664

Curator: Let's spend some time with this engraving, "Laughing Boy with a Glass," dating approximately from 1628 to 1664 and attributed to Jan Matham. The boy's expression is lively, but I must say the glass he's holding is quite distracting. Editor: Oh, I disagree completely. The rendering is superb, the details really show us something of how it was made and handled and also draw your eye. It's quite striking, especially considering it’s just engraving on, most likely, paper. It looks so delicate! Curator: True, Matham really captured the luminosity and clarity of glass. This work comes to us from the Northern Baroque period; that means it would have probably hung somewhere wealthy families celebrated opulence and celebrated rising social status, right? I imagine there's definitely some sort of moral lesson here. Editor: Could be, sure, but the way he renders the folds in the fabric and the feathers in his hat–these things required skill and time. Also I can only imagine what it would have been like being the actual paper and metal engraver. Matham, I suspect, likely ran an entire production system when making these objects. Who prepared what, where was it made and sold, who consumed these things… Curator: All good questions to ponder but doesn’t the composition feel performative? Look how he angles his glass, and shows off those ridiculous feathers. I suspect this image played into larger narratives of the prodigal son or of the dangers of drunkenness which, you know, were super popular then. Editor: You make an interesting point about it playing into narratives about social class. It really showcases the consumption and the means through which something could be made, replicated, and circulated for visual communication and commentary. But I still think we can still stand in awe of the simple materials involved. Curator: Fair enough, and seeing the humor and the craftsmanship gives me a new appreciation of its Baroque excessiveness. Editor: It's definitely gotten me thinking about what’s at the heart of its crafting—not just the subject, but the act of creation and all that went into this one physical, reproducible image!