Tijd onthult de Waarheid 1774

Curator: This is "Tijd onthult de Waarheid," or "Time Reveals the Truth," an engraving by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, created in 1774. It resides here in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression? A sense of poised unveiling. An almost Baroque sensibility is reined in by this graphic medium; the sharp lines of the engraving. It feels balanced and considered. Curator: Balance is a key element here. The print embodies a visual language typical of the Enlightenment. Notice the allegorical figures, like Father Time dispelling the clouds of ignorance to reveal Truth. Editor: Allegorical figures made physical, the artist carefully using line to build a vision, a reality. I am drawn to the execution of those clouds, they almost feel like a material, like chalk. Curator: Exactly. The themes speak to the era's belief in reason and progress. Chodowiecki was very engaged in political and social commentary through his art. Engravings like these were widely disseminated, influencing public opinion. Editor: This act of unveiling – so potent in the social realm as you mention – is quite materially active too. It reminds me how revealing is also what the engraver does, through labor-intensive processes of transferring images and ideas. How many hands may this image have passed through! Curator: A vital point. And the use of engraving democratized art to some degree, making it accessible to a wider audience than paintings or sculptures. Editor: We’re reminded then of the function and process both - one public and social, one literally handmade. Looking closely at the materiality emphasizes how ideologies and techniques intertwine to reach people. Curator: Indeed. The politics of imagery become inextricably linked to the means of its creation and dissemination. It's a fascinating intersection. Editor: Yes, exactly, this print asks us to think about the role of craft within larger structures of knowledge. I am walking away with this expanded sense of a material object doing public work!