Kwitantie voor Scholtens & Zoon Possibly 1889

This receipt for Scholtens & Zoon, printed in Groningen in 1887, gives us a glimpse into the art market of the late 19th century. The document reveals that the firm of Frans Buffa en Zonen, likely art dealers, received two thousand guilders for a painting. The print on the left, and the handwriting in the middle, denote a tension between industrialization and the art market. What interests me is the institutional and social context. The Rijksmuseum itself, like many national museums, was still a relatively new institution in the late 19th century, part of a broader movement to categorize and display national culture. Receipts like this allow us to trace the networks of artists, dealers, and collectors who shaped that culture. Further research, into the archives of firms like Scholtens & Zoon or the Buffa gallery, might reveal more about the kinds of art that were in demand and the social class that was buying. It reminds us that art history is always embedded in a web of economic and social relations.