November 1722 - 1784

Curator: This is "November," a pen drawing, etching and engraving made by Simon Fokke, likely sometime between 1722 and 1784. It’s part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: The initial feeling I get is of brisk labor and almost unsettling stillness. There is incredible detail here despite its scale and medium – but I keep thinking about that sharp line above everything. Curator: That linear quality speaks volumes. It tells us about the printmaking process: the intentionality and control required to transfer an image through these means, focusing on production as central to its appeal. Editor: Indeed, and speaking of images, look how Fokke uses clothing. The figures' attire – the billowing dresses, the servant’s garments, all create social commentary on hierarchy, don't you think? Each class wears symbols, practically declaring their roles within Dutch society. Curator: Agreed. This isn't just a genre scene; it's about systems of labor, about where wealth is accrued. Someone had to obtain and sell those ducks on that little stall. The etching captures this silent, but vital exchange. Editor: It is hard to miss the cultural meaning. Look at the waterfowl hanging upside down, these immediately invoke the seasonal rituals associated with harvesting and preparation for winter; It hints at death but provides, ultimately speaking of natural cycles in what becomes a symbolic gesture of preparation. Curator: It’s incredible how this medium translates detail with the landscape. Take in the urban backdrop, we see architectural markers; This tells the tale about economic exchange while domestic duties meet in this compact space – this speaks about women at work but how consumption drives its activities in Dutch society during this period. Editor: The visual details provide subtle insights of symbolism. This etching serves not merely the documentation of labor—more importantly – in an urban landscape this visual program emphasizes its place among seasonal rhythms – an attempt to provide both symbolic reassurance combined amidst a quickly changing societal hierarchy being actively memorialized within urban modernity. Curator: By examining both its method of making and through images it reveals; each medium in printmaking speaks volumes – its physical means tell compelling truths both economic but in its subtle visual imagery reveals deeply embedded realities that tell compelling untold realities embedded within that present reality. Editor: "November’ truly speaks volume in quiet symbolism." The more we discussed material and its production of what it signified socially throughout, this etching offers profound symbolic commentary worth deep reflection that holds relevance within shifting social standards throughout these seasonal times".