Zwei Schiffe auf einem sehr breiten Strom segelnd, am Ufer zwischen Bäumen eine Kirche 

Editor: This is a watercolour and ink drawing by Nicolaas Wicart, titled "Two Ships Sailing on a Very Wide Stream, a Church on the Bank Among Trees." It feels serene, almost dreamlike, with the soft washes of color. I'm curious, looking at the details of the ships' construction, what's your perspective on this work? Curator: The materiality of this piece interests me most. The combination of ink and watercolour, particularly on paper, speaks volumes about artistic production at the time. Watercolors weren't necessarily considered "high art," more aligned with sketching or preliminary work. Look at the delicate underpainting, too. Editor: So you're saying the materials themselves challenge some established ideas? Curator: Precisely. And it prompts us to consider the social context: Who was making art like this? For whom? Was this intended for public display, or more personal consumption? What kind of labor went into the construction of these boats? Editor: That’s interesting; it’s not just the final image, but the materials and the labor behind it that tell a story. I guess I hadn’t considered how the perceived "value" of a material could affect the art itself. Curator: It certainly does! It redefines our understanding of value. By focusing on the means of production, we can unpack social hierarchies embedded within the art world itself. Editor: Thanks, I see it now! I’ll definitely pay more attention to how and why an artist chooses certain materials. It adds a whole new layer of understanding. Curator: Absolutely. The devil, as they say, is in the details... especially the material ones!