The Coffee-House 

Editor: This drawing, titled "The Coffee-House" by Hubert François Gravelot, depicts a social scene. The delicate lines and the subject matter give it a refined, almost fragile quality. What can you tell me about the materiality of coffee houses and their cultural context? Curator: Indeed. Beyond the elegant lines, let's consider what materials fueled this scene. Coffee itself, imported and traded, transformed social interactions. Consider, too, the architectural materials of the coffee house, the paper for news and pamphlets, and the clay for the pipes. These materials facilitated new forms of labor, consumption, and exchange, shaping the very discussions taking place within. Editor: So, the materials are not just background, but active agents? Curator: Precisely. The coffee house itself becomes a site where the material culture of trade and consumption shapes societal discourse. Editor: That’s a very different way of seeing this artwork. Thanks for the insight!