Verkoper van keukengereedschap 1660

Editor: This is "Verkoper van keukengereedschap" – "Vendor of Kitchen Utensils" – an etching made around 1660 by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli. It shows a figure from behind, laden with kitchenware. It’s such a detailed depiction of everyday life; it makes me wonder about the role of itinerant vendors then. How would you interpret this work? Curator: It’s tempting to view this as just a quaint scene, but let’s consider its broader context. Street vendors like this weren't merely providing goods; they were crucial to the urban economy and social fabric. Etchings like these gained popularity as printed images allowed broader access to subjects like this – what could they tell us about 17th century Italian society? Editor: That's fascinating! So, these prints are more than just pictures; they reflect the economy? Curator: Exactly! The proliferation of prints made images accessible to a wider audience, not just the wealthy elite. This print documents an essential, but probably unnoticed profession within a quickly modernizing and globalized culture. Does that affect how you see the piece? Editor: It does! It changes my view. Before, I saw just an ordinary person selling kitchen tools. Now I understand that Mitelli documented and thus acknowledged these tradespeople, too. Curator: Mitelli, by giving a face to these everyday labors, helped create a kind of visual archive for everyday laborers, right? And in this way helped establish an historical record of a broad class of person, where traditionally portraits might have only celebrated elite identities. Editor: I hadn't thought about that – about this being part of creating history for everyone, not just elites. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! Thinking about images like this also reminds us that museums are key institutions responsible for deciding which representations and stories should become part of public memory.