Vrouw met ketel 1841 - 1887

Editor: This is "Vrouw met ketel" – "Woman with Kettle" – an etching by Anna Nahuys, dating sometime between 1841 and 1887. The piece has an immediate sense of intimacy and everyday labor about it. What can you tell me about it? Curator: The etching’s power resides precisely in this depiction of labor. Look closely at the materiality – the copper plate etched with acid, the tools used to create those fine lines. Think of the artist, the labor involved in producing each print, the social context of women’s work, both recognized and unacknowledged. Editor: So, you are focusing on the process rather than, say, her expression? Curator: Precisely. We are seeing a representation of a very particular class engaged in labor that defines their existence. Consider, too, how prints like these functioned in society. Were they for mass consumption? Or a more niche audience, like fellow artists interested in technique? The means of distribution matter. How might these images have circulated? Editor: That makes me consider where Nahuys learned the etching technique, and whether her social class allowed more time for artistic training, setting her apart from the woman depicted. Curator: Excellent! It’s this contrast that illuminates the complex layers of production. Think of her labour against the labour portrayed within the image itself! Editor: Thinking about the artist's social position affecting the print’s material availability changes everything about my first read. Thank you. Curator: And by viewing the subject as an amalgamation of socioeconomic factors you change everything about seeing it, also for me!