Gezelschap aan een banket 1702 - 1767

Curator: This engraving, housed here at the Rijksmuseum, is titled "Gezelschap aan een banket," or "Company at a Banquet," by Jacob Folkema. The artwork dates roughly from 1702 to 1767. Editor: My immediate impression is one of stifling opulence. Look at the rigid formality of the figures, all captured with this intricate, almost obsessive detail. The very air feels thick with expectation. Curator: Well, the baroque style certainly emphasized grandeur, and that translates into displays of power, status, and even the institutional role of the wealthy during that period. We see it in the architecture, clothing, and social dynamics depicted. Editor: Absolutely. The towering architectural structures of power serve as a backdrop to this exclusive banquet. Who is being included and, more importantly, who is excluded? I immediately think about how visual signifiers were, and continue to be, used to enforce a strict socio-economic hierarchy. Look at the elaborate collars—those weren't just fashion statements; they signified something far more significant. Curator: And engraving itself served a crucial role in disseminating information and promoting specific viewpoints of historical moments. The technique made possible the distribution of imagery, influencing perceptions of aristocracy, societal events and idealogical movements across broader society. Editor: True. And considering Folkema's engraving presents a presumably celebratory scene, I find myself questioning whose history is being centered here? The smiling faces obscure potential power struggles, gender dynamics, and even class tensions simmering beneath the surface of refinement. I can't help but see it through a lens of intersectional theory. What are they not telling us about the human experience? Curator: I find it interesting that, while clearly portraying a specific class, these kinds of scenes arguably made that lifestyle accessible, aspirational for the emerging merchant classes. The consumption habits, for instance, or codes of dress. Editor: The engraving makes visible the desire for social climbing that echoes into contemporary times. Thank you, it's always fascinating to peel back the layers of historical imagery. Curator: My pleasure. These intricate artworks truly allow us to dissect and challenge conventional narratives about historical realities.