Lierdraaier in een herberg 1788

Curator: Ah, yes, "Lierdraaier in een herberg" by Louis E.F. Garreau, from 1788. Editor: It’s an engraving of a hurdy-gurdy player in what seems to be a tavern. The man is preparing something, maybe tobacco. I'm immediately struck by how ordinary, almost documentary, the scene feels. What can you tell me about this type of imagery during that period? Curator: Genre paintings like this one, popularized by the Dutch Golden Age, gained renewed interest in the late 18th century. Engravings like these circulated widely. They catered to a growing middle-class audience with an appetite for images reflecting their daily lives. It is the politicization of the gaze that I am interested in. Editor: Politicization? How so? It just seems like a simple tavern scene. Curator: Well, consider who is being represented and how. The hurdy-gurdy player, a figure on the margins of society, is placed center stage. How does that choice reflect changing social attitudes? The printing process itself allowed the image to become accessible, disrupting existing artistic power structures. Do you agree? Editor: I think so! The act of mass production itself feels revolutionary, making art accessible to many rather than the elite. Curator: Exactly! Consider the role of institutions in the art world in 1788. Academies promoted certain kinds of "high" art, mostly for the aristocracy, and what did that entail? Garreau challenges those established values through printmaking for Le Brun. We see what a cabinet and studio of someone important, like Le Brun, offers for this genre. Editor: So this seemingly simple scene tells a more complex story about society and art itself? Curator: Precisely! Art isn't made in a vacuum; it reflects and shapes the world around it. These kinds of pieces have something to say about the societal context. Editor: That gives me a totally different appreciation for this artwork. Thanks so much.