Collage van uitgeknipte prenten geplakt op albumblad van blauw papier c. 1585 - 1700

Editor: Here we have a collage from around 1585 to 1700, made by various artists, aptly titled "Collage of Cut Prints Glued on Album Sheet of Blue Paper," residing here at the Rijksmuseum. The contrast between the monochrome prints and blue background gives it an almost ghostly aesthetic. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: What immediately captures my attention is the act of appropriation and recontextualization. Here we see prints, initially made for distribution and consumption within a specific market, reworked by someone, we don't even know for sure who. The collage elevates these humble prints beyond their original function. We have to consider what these images meant in their original context and what meaning they generate here assembled on the album sheet. Editor: So, it’s not just about the final product, but the life cycle of these prints and the labor involved in producing them? Curator: Precisely! Think of the labor involved in the initial engravings, the distribution networks that brought them to the consumer, and then, the artistic choice to dismantle and reconstruct. It challenges traditional notions of authorship and the hierarchy of art. Editor: So, it’s about disrupting existing markets? This practice blurs the line between creator and consumer, no? Curator: That's insightful. It invites us to consider who had access to these materials, and what their intention might have been, elevating the ‘craft’ aspect rather than focusing solely on 'high art.' What about the function of display for social class at the time? Editor: Wow, I hadn't considered the socioeconomic context of collage making. I always considered it very ‘crafty’, now, seeing it through a materialist lens I can understand better its disruptive function for art at the time. Thank you for shining light into that! Curator: My pleasure. It’s always interesting to see the intersection of material processes and social narratives.