Op zijn werken verliefde auteur 1735 - 1797

Editor: This print, "Op zijn werken verliefde auteur," by Christian Bernhard Rode, dating from 1735-1797, is quite captivating. The way the lone figure is hunched over his work in that dimly lit room… it feels like an intimate portrayal of the artist's own isolation, maybe even a critique of it. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a complex engagement with the role of the artist and intellectual in a rapidly changing society. Rode created this image amidst the Enlightenment. The author is literally 'in love with his own work,' the title tells us. Think about the context: the printing press allowed for wider distribution of ideas, leading to new forms of authorship, but also, arguably, to new forms of ego and potential alienation. Do you think the cluttered, almost claustrophobic, space surrounding the figure suggests something about this psychological state? Editor: Absolutely. All those books and papers surrounding him almost feel like a cage of his own making. Could Rode be commenting on how intellectual pursuits, though valuable, can isolate individuals from the broader community and contribute to inequalities? Curator: Precisely. Rode, positioned here as both artist and social critic, prompts us to examine the socio-political implications of creative work. Consider who had access to such secluded spaces for intellectual pursuits during this era. It wasn’t a space for everyone, and that exclusion created further divides. It makes me wonder if Rode is challenging those boundaries. Editor: It definitely reframes how I view 18th-century art; I hadn’t considered those implications of the printing press and its effect on the figure of the artist at that time. Curator: Exactly, and seeing art as more than aesthetic objects but also social commentary can open a richer, and politically relevant experience. I will always view these kinds of artwork through this lens.