Prijslijst van negen kunstwerken gemaakt door diverse kunstenaars 1884 - 1952

Editor: This is a fascinating document. It's titled "Prijslijst van negen kunstwerken gemaakt door diverse kunstenaars," or "Price List of Nine Artworks Made by Various Artists." Created between 1884 and 1952 by Reinier Willem Petrus de Vries. It's a drawing in ink on paper, and I'm struck by how this simple list feels so evocative of a specific moment in time. What symbols or deeper narratives do you see within it? Curator: What resonates is how something seemingly mundane – a list – becomes a cultural artifact, freighted with meaning beyond its simple function. Note the hand-written script, each stroke a testament to individual labor in a pre-digital age. Each name and title signifies a relationship, perhaps between artist and patron, artwork and collector. Even the prices, quantified in a now-bygone currency, speak of value systems that have evolved over time. Editor: It’s like a coded language! What’s really intriguing to me is that it feels like looking at a lost world – the names and artworks only suggest themselves to us now. Curator: Exactly! Think of the paper itself, bearing witness to transactions, decisions, and potentially, power dynamics. Consider also how lists throughout history – inventories, catalogs, even personal diaries – function as attempts to capture and control fragments of reality. Editor: So it’s not just about the art, but about the whole system surrounding art at that time? Curator: Precisely. This list becomes a window into the cultural and economic landscape of its time, hinting at societal values and artistic networks long past. Each entry serves as a fragmented mirror, reflecting a lost context that continues to influence how we perceive value today. Editor: I never considered the power dynamics of such a common place object. Thank you! Curator: And I had not considered how a simple price list could evoke such curiosity, truly transforming a document into a captivating piece.