Schilder aan het werk in zijn atelier 1758

Editor: Here we have "Schilder aan het werk in zijn atelier," or "Painter at work in his studio," an engraving from 1758 now at the Rijksmuseum, by an anonymous artist. It strikes me as incredibly meta – a picture of someone making a picture. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Oh, it’s more than meta; it's a delicious reflection on creation itself! Look how the artist has situated their subject within the act of making. There’s a quiet intensity, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely, the light seems very focused on the canvas itself. Curator: Precisely! The artist’s world seems contained by their studio; all of the visible action is about building a picture from scratch, imbuing a sense of dedication but perhaps also an intellectual bubble. Do you notice any particular objects or details that feel significant to you? Editor: I like the glimpses we get into the next room with the group of people in conversation, as well as the various art pieces strewn around the studio. Curator: Ah, the little pocket universes that the painter probably envisions and creates with passion every day. This almost hints at a conversation about art's function – the active engagement with the outside world (through subjects) on the one hand, and internal creative dialogue on the other. There is certainly some playful duality at work here, it almost makes you feel like you’re experiencing two worlds simultaneously. Editor: It makes you wonder, too, what the painting within the painting looks like, and what conversations it hopes to inspire! Curator: Beautifully put. It becomes a layered investigation of making and meaning that transcends its baroque aesthetic.