Verspilling in het huwelijk c. 1595 - 1605

Curator: This is "Verspilling in het huwelijk," or "Wastefulness in Marriage," an etching and engraving dating from around 1595 to 1605, attributed to Gillis van Breen. It’s currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the…domestic disarray. The loose slippers, the overflowing coffer, the slightly smug expressions – it screams of financial recklessness and self-indulgence. A cautionary tale, maybe? Curator: Precisely. Van Breen worked within a strong tradition of moralizing genre scenes, often commenting on social behaviors and class dynamics through symbolic representations. This print uses the domestic sphere to highlight concerns about wealth, spending habits, and marital responsibility. The composition itself, the placement of the figures, directs our eye to these relationships. Editor: And those figures are all so meticulously rendered. The stiff ruffs framing their faces… there’s a theatricality to it. Do you think that adds to the sense of it being staged – almost a tableau vivant designed to illustrate a specific moral point? Curator: Certainly. The detailed line work in the engraving, from the textures of the clothing to the subtle shading of their faces, allows Van Breen to articulate not just what these individuals are doing but how they are doing it. Consider the tools required: the etching needles, the copper plates, the press—all elements of production deeply invested in circulating moral ideas among a growing middle class. Editor: There’s also this wonderful, slightly subversive humor here. I can't help but think it’s not just wagging a finger but also acknowledging the absurdity of it all. Like, "Yes, wastefulness is bad… but isn’t it also a little fun?" Curator: That tension between critique and acknowledgement is central to understanding the complexities of Dutch Golden Age printmaking. The prints weren't just tools for propagating specific ideologies. They are also material objects deeply enmeshed within systems of exchange, distribution, and audience reception. Editor: It really gives you a sense of the complex economic and social realities of the time. So much to unpack there, visually and contextually. Curator: Absolutely. It provides tangible insights into material culture. What seems at first a simple morality tale reflects nuanced dynamics of a transformative era.