The initiative started six years ago, but took a back seat until Rijksmuseum’s mammoth 10-year renovation project was
completed in 2013. Gosselink says that the museum had in the past
received complaints that artwork descriptions, some which date as far
back as 1910, were written from a purely white perspective.
“We
had a text saying that Australia was discovered by a European man, but
we all know that obviously Australia had existed for millions of years
before any Europeans went there,” says Gosselink.
However,
far from erasing all traces of original titles and descriptions,
Rijksmuseum will archive them so that the public can still access them
if they wanted to.
“It’s not a matter of whitewashing our Dutch history, we do think that old colonial terms are also part of it,” says Gosselink.
The
Rijksmuseum, which is one of the world’s leading art institutions, is
working with representatives of indigenous groups and civil society
organizations to come up with the most appropriate terms to use.
“We would not want to change anything without their permission,” says Gosselink.
This is something I’ve been pushing for since I began this project, and I’m glad to see that it’s finally starting to catch on with influential institutions like the Rijksmuseum, whose immense online collection and digital archives have helped bring amazing content to MPoC.
The language used in the article leaves a bit to be desired, since titling artworks with racial slurs should never have been a thing in the first place. But I do think that leaving the former titles archived as evidence of institutional racism encourages accountability and helps show a changing narrative, rather than erasing all traces of the changes.
The way artworks are indexed and the terms attached to them in databases heavily influence the way we think about them, and the way we process information and context. Hopefully this will not only be a more accurate way to organize these works, but will also make them easier to find for those who’ve been searching for them.
Art is suppose to piss people off no matter out insensitive it is. Changing works up like this is some weak sauce.
First of all, I find it very debatable that art is “supposed to piss people off”. Art does a lot more than that, and saying that art’s only value is to cause discomfort is devaluing and oversimplifying to an absurd degree.
Secondly, thousands of works were created without titles, or the original titles were lost. The Rijksmuseum was founded in 1885. For the overwhelmingly most part, the “original” titles they’re talking about are those given in 1885, by the museum.
And lastly, not only are many of those titles full of racial slurs, they’re inaccurate and do nothing to tell someone what the painting is actually of, where or when it was created, if it’s a portrait or a still life, or really anything about it at all.
Like honestly, how are people pissy that the museum is providing MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ART? Earlier titles and information, all of that is STILL THERE.
Considering how much slur-laden, awful, dehumanizing crap I’ve had to wade through over the last 3 years to find these artworks to share with you all, the fact that literally anyone is finally willing to take another look at how these works are indexed and categories is a blessing.
It’s like people are pissed off that a less-racist OPTION is being added. I mean, I shouldn’t even be surprised at this behavior after all this time, but shame on me I guess for believing in better from people.
the description text for the painting reads as follows:
Young Woman with a Fan, Simon Maris, c. 1906
oil on canvas, h 41cm × w 29cm.
Simon Maris painted this woman on various occasions, holding
a cigarette or a red fan. Perhaps she was a model, yet this painting
could also be an actual portrait. For want of information, in the past
it was variously titled as The Negress, Portrait of a Mulatto,
East-Indian Type, The Little Negress. These terms are now considered
derogatory. Until her name is known, the painting will bear a neutral
title.
UNTIL HER NAME IS KNOWN.
Notice that none of those former titles were given by the artist. All of them were given because of racism and a lack of information, and lack of interest in further research about the subject of this painting. The title “Young Woman with a Fan” tells us more or less exactly what is in the image, and now we know that she was painted by the same artist multiple times. And more than that, the text implies that more information and research is needed to better understand the young woman depicted in this painting, including the need to know her name, and recognize her life, her worth, and her individuality.
