who writes museum labels – what makes a good museum label

Godfried Schalcken, Young Woman Eating Sweets (1680–85): Caught in the act. This young woman makes eye contact with us, as she lifts a fingertip of sugar to her mouth. Her other hand clutches a polished silver sugar bowl. Over the course of the 17th century, Dutch imports of Brazilian and Caribbean sugar increased dramatically and prices fell, turning this rarity into a widely available delight. Schalcken rhymes the seductions of sugar with the woman’s sensuality to emphasize the painting’s own allure as a luxury item, ostensibly for male consumers.