Jack Cades heropstanding 1844

Editor: Here we have John Doyle's "Jack Cade's Heropstanding," a pencil drawing from 1844, housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. It feels like a satirical take on historical events... almost cartoonish. I'm curious, what's your take on this particular work? Curator: Well, let's start with the medium: pencil. This isn't some grand oil painting meant for a palace. A pencil drawing speaks to accessibility, mass production even through printmaking. Consider its production. Doyle was making lithographs for mass consumption. Who was his audience, and what would they have understood about Jack Cade’s rebellion? Editor: I guess the "Factory Bill" written on the shield might be a clue? Curator: Exactly! The "Factory Bill" implies the artist uses Jack Cade's Rebellion as social commentary against new legislations from the English Factories Act that established work hour restrictions. Consider the materials and techniques Doyle employed and for what political and cultural aims. Why historical dress instead of contemporary clothing, for instance? Editor: Maybe to draw parallels? Show how issues of power and labor have always been a struggle? So, the choice of pencil makes it accessible, and the historical references provide layers of meaning about labour. Curator: Precisely. The work challenges us to consider how "high art" traditions—like history painting—can be subverted through accessible materials and political commentary tied to labour practices. Editor: It's fascinating to think about art not just as an aesthetic object, but as a product tied to its historical moment. This puts new pressures onto us to consider the conditions from which such art arose, but this, conversely, broadens our understanding. Curator: Absolutely! Thinking materially encourages us to view art as intertwined with broader social and economic systems. That informs my viewpoint!