El desvan del anticuario 1893

Editor: This is Arturo Michelena's "El desvan del anticuario", or "The Antique Dealer's Attic", from 1893, created using oil paints. There's so much detail crammed into this one scene; it feels like stepping back in time. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: Well, let's consider the scene itself. The antique dealer is caught in the act of inspecting an object. The surrounding items—the paintings, the furniture, the fabrics—aren't merely props. They’re commodities. They are telling us a lot about consumerism. Michelena painted this at a time of emerging capitalist structures in Venezuela, right? It depicts the material conditions and cultural aspirations of that period. Editor: That's fascinating. So, the objects themselves tell a story about economic conditions? Curator: Precisely. Look at the textiles, the imported looking furniture. This is not simply decoration, but a representation of how objects circulate within social structures. Think of the labor that went into producing each of these items, then consider the value someone places on them now, as an "antique." Editor: That really makes you think about how we value objects differently at different points in time, doesn't it? Almost a cycle of production, consumption and re-evaluation? Curator: Exactly! And it challenges the typical Romantic idealization often associated with this era. The materials and the means by which they came into the dealer’s possession—and how he intends to profit—are central to understanding the work. Editor: I'd never thought of it that way before, looking at the labor and material reality behind something that appears so idyllic. Thank you, I learned a lot. Curator: Me too! Seeing the connection between objects, labour and capitalism provides another perspective on a familiar genre painting.