Two heads 

Editor: Here we have Jacob de Wit's "Two Heads", an ink drawing housed in the Städel Museum. It has a really intimate feeling, like peering into an artist's sketchbook. What can you tell me about its historical context? Curator: The beauty of drawings like these lies in understanding their function. De Wit, a prominent figure in the Baroque era, would likely have created such sketches as studies for larger history paintings. Considering this, how does it shift your perception of the work’s 'intimacy'? Editor: That's interesting. It feels less spontaneous and more deliberate, like he's workshopping the expressions of figures for a bigger narrative. I see now that history painting requires such meticulous planning. So, who was seeing these sketches at the time, and why preserve them? Curator: That's a crucial question. Initially, drawings like these served primarily as in-house tools. But, the rise of connoisseurship in the 18th century changed everything. Suddenly, these once-private studies became collectible items, valuable for understanding an artist’s creative process. Does that shift our understanding of how de Wit's reputation was built and maintained? Editor: Absolutely. It's fascinating how something created for a specific purpose, a step towards something grander, could become a sought-after object in itself, contributing to the artist's legacy and transforming art appreciation. Curator: Indeed. And considering the meticulous skill evident in each sketched line, how does understanding their eventual role in the art market reshape your appreciation of their preservation in museums today? Editor: I now realize it speaks to how much our interpretation of an artwork hinges on the cultural and historical lens through which we view it.