Getallen c. 1880 - 1887

This page of calculations was made by Louis Apol, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century, with paper, ink, and pen. Its materials are the everyday tools of commerce. Apol was a well-regarded landscape painter, known for his depictions of the Dutch countryside. Yet here, instead of picturesque scenes, we find only numbers. The stark contrast invites us to consider the material realities that underpin even the most idealized art. What did his paintings cost to produce? How were they priced? And what was Apol's relationship to the art market, a system driven by profit and loss? The artist no doubt spent countless hours at the easel, but also time keeping accounts, a dual existence familiar to many creative people even today. By presenting these calculations, the museum asks us to consider the economic context of Apol’s art, reminding us that even the most beautiful creations are intertwined with the world of labor and capital.