Geornamenteerde muur met de tekst Finis coronat opus before 1893

Curator: Looking at this lithograph from before 1893, “Geornamenteerde muur met de tekst Finis coronat opus"—meaning “the end crowns the work"—housed here at the Rijksmuseum, I’m struck by how time and process impact meaning. Editor: Yes, there is a real sense of decay in the print; I would describe its mood as melancholic. It appears to depict architecture layered with text, almost swallowed by nature. Curator: Exactly. This print presents layered historical narratives. The wall itself is ornamented and monumental, possibly holding colonial meaning tied to the East India Trading company. Editor: How was the inscription, and the idea of culmination that it suggests, created through the technical process of printing? Perhaps it acts as a metaphor for the colonial project's planned, if unrealizable, conclusion? What's captured from this ornate wall is not so simple. Curator: I agree. Considering the date, this piece may also act as social commentary. The image offers insights into a specific period, a historical record open to our interpretation today, reshaped by the materiality of textile production from where it originates. The textile has political connections through trade and wealth, particularly regarding textiles from India in Europe in the nineteenth century. Editor: Precisely. It also makes you think about the relationship between design, production and utility. The architecture acts almost as a substrate for this visual culture of labor. Curator: Thinking about identity, empire, labor and cultural exchange all contained within this frame invites deeper exploration. This print is so evocative and complex! Editor: I find myself seeing it with fresh eyes, and am newly fascinated by the layering and the implied histories within it. The intersection between the monumentality of architectural structures, the meaning inherent in production processes, and its layered sociopolitical context.