Het Toilet, 1 februari 1880, No. 15 1880

Editor: Here we have E. Cheffer’s "Het Toilet, 1 februari 1880, No. 15", created in 1880, it’s a watercolour illustration depicting two women in elaborate dresses. The level of detail is remarkable. What are your thoughts on it? Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the work's commentary on material culture. Watercolour was used to reproduce a certain "look", emulating fabrics, frills, the subtle lustre of wealth. The decorative arts associations with watercolor in the 19th century positions this work less as 'high art' and more as part of a broader landscape of commercial illustration, serving fashion and the market. Editor: That's a really interesting take, seeing the watercolour as tied to the work's function in promoting material desire, in advertising luxury. It's almost like Cheffer isn't just painting a scene, but also subtly celebrating commodity culture. Curator: Exactly. We might even consider the socio-economic implications. These dresses would have been products of intensive labor, of seamstresses working long hours, likely underpaid. So this illustration serves as promotion of attire that may be unethically conceived or made. How do the dresses themselves strike you? Editor: I suppose that the elaborate and visually appealing designs, even today, reflect societal norms of beauty, elegance and luxury. It's clear these dresses are intended to impress. But beyond aesthetics, they signify status and reflect the consumer desires that fuel entire industries. Curator: Precisely. The piece compels us to investigate the complex intersection of labour, material, and social performance, using “high art” methods like figuration to create “low art” ephemera. Ultimately it challenges the assumed boundaries between these categories and reveals what they depend upon from one another. Editor: I never really considered it from this angle before! Seeing it as a document of production and consumption really reframes it. Thanks for that. Curator: My pleasure, I appreciate you bringing new and differing view points to light!