Gezicht op een vismarkt in Keulen met de Sint-Petruskerk 17855

Curator: We are looking at an engraving from 1785 by Johann Georg Rosenberg, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. It’s titled “Gezicht op een vismarkt in Keulen met de Sint-Petruskerk," or "View of a Fish Market in Cologne with St. Peter's Church" if you will. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the hustle and bustle—and it’s just an engraving! You can almost smell the fish and hear the merchants calling out. It really pulls you into this specific moment in time in 18th-century Cologne. Curator: It's more than just a snapshot. Consider the medium itself, the engraving process, the copper plate, the tools, the labour invested in documenting a daily, almost mundane scene like a fish market. It elevates it beyond mere reportage. Editor: Absolutely! There’s a poetry in the details. I’m drawn to the church steeple, almost lost in the background haze. It's as if life, the busy marketplace, obscures the divine. Rosenberg captures a slice of daily existence, warts and all, you know? It’s more human, more earthy than celestial. Curator: Indeed. But look at the architecture surrounding the market – the imposing structures dwarf the merchants. The social hierarchy is palpable, even in this commercial hub. Consumption is shaped by those grand designs that remind us about Baroque style, about patrons of arts, and about wealth distribution within the City. Editor: And yet, life persists, doesn't it? These tiny figures carrying on, haggling over fish. This isn't a story about architectural grandstanding; it is also one about everyday labour. Rosenberg chose to portray the people, making their labour into art. The perspective feels both realistic and…almost staged. As if he orchestrated this theatre. Curator: It's a curated reality, definitely. A blend of accuracy and artistic intention shaping our perspective. We often forget how much art is intertwined with commerce and the material realities of making a living. Editor: Seeing how much can be said about the interaction between production, labour and art itself really allows a deeper insight on history. I like it so much. Curator: Me too. Thanks for pointing out all these nuances.