Lijst met prijzen van voornamelijk schilderbenodigdheden 1858

This is a price list of artist materials, likely compiled in the Netherlands sometime in the late 19th century by the artist Maria Vos. While seemingly mundane, such a document opens a window onto the practical realities of artistic production. Consider the listed items: pigments, brushes, various painting supports. These were the essential tools of the trade, the commodities that allowed artists to translate their vision into tangible form. The prices listed here reflect the economic conditions of the time, including supply and demand, trade routes, and the cost of raw materials. Looking at this list, we can begin to understand the economic factors that shaped artistic practices in the Netherlands. Archival documents like this list, combined with more traditional art historical research, allow us to move beyond formal analysis and consider the social and institutional contexts that shaped the art we see in museums today.