Natie de stoeffer / Ignance le fanfaron 1800 - 1833

Curator: This peculiar sheet of drawings, "Natie de stoeffer / Ignace le fanfaron," is attributed to Philippus Jacobus Brepols and dates from the early 19th century. The Rijksmuseum holds it. Editor: My first thought is the sheer quantity of imagery and text combined, lending this pen and ink drawing almost a broadsheet, printed quality, despite the handcrafted look. There is almost a manufacturing style that suggests that the labour in creation is minimised while also using text in this context. Curator: Precisely! It is so interesting to witness how early 19th century art forms were marketed in order to maximize returns, while using a romanticist visual style with ink-based tools for this creation. Such caricatures as a narrative are typical from that time. Editor: The use of ink and pen, readily available materials, hints at a democratic impulse, especially since we are using printed text accompanying the drawn figures and that would attract those who wouldn't want just 'high art'. What would this work look like outside the context of Romanticism or, more generally, how would it shift through different art movements? Curator: In the realm of cultural history, the distribution is the biggest indicator of who will perceive these themes. In what conditions? I mean: caricatures, as narratives, touch a broader base beyond that of high art patrons and thus has the ability to challenge power as such. Editor: These character sketches serve not only as visual entertainment but reflect early commercial visual culture with a clear focus on efficiency. It also touches themes central to the Industrial Revolution that involved mass production, as art starts to grapple with what labor means in a world changing to the idea of mass distribution. Curator: So, while delving into the interplay between accessible artistic creation, the use of materials, and their potential reach through a market that is ever broadening and deepening during a transformational time, let's move onwards. Editor: Yes, definitely it's good to examine what kind of shifts are beginning, like the beginning waves that push art away from classic artistic approaches in favour of one with popular touch, like caricature!