Driekoningenfeest 1822 - 1880

Curator: So, here we have Reinier Craeyvanger’s "Driekoningenfeest," created sometime between 1822 and 1880, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a genre scene rendered with pen, graphite, and pencil. Quite a gathering, wouldn't you say? Editor: It is! It feels like we're peering into a private moment of celebration. With its emphasis on detail achieved by graphite, what social contexts might have shaped Craeyvanger's choices in representing this scene? Curator: Well, considering the piece focuses on a celebration involving a King Cake or similar treat during a holiday feast and given the material and stylistic choices of realism via graphite and pen, we are clearly situated amongst the rising middle classes in the Netherlands. This isn't a grand history painting intended to inspire the masses; it is something far more intimate for consumers. Who would commission and own such a thing and why? What kind of materials are within reach and what kind of artist or maker would be commissioned to produce such art and imagery? Editor: The level of detail does seem tailored for close, personal appreciation rather than public display. Are you suggesting the choice of drawing rather than painting says something about its intended audience and use? Curator: Precisely! Graphite and pen-based works were not particularly extravagant but readily attainable within the consumer-based material economies in that period, yes. Think about how such imagery might reflect on this cultural dynamic! For example, what is conveyed about ideas of wealth, or religious views via the family or business displayed in this image? The material is intertwined with the social function. Editor: So, viewing "Driekoningenfeest" through this material lens, it offers a look at the burgeoning Dutch middle class crafting their identity through consumable goods. I had not considered drawing with pen and pencil this way before! Curator: And hopefully now, you will always be curious about not just *what* we are viewing but *why* the artists choose what they did when building art in response to material circumstances.