Gezicht op Messina, Sicilië 1637 - 1678

Editor: Here we have "Gezicht op Messina, Sicilië" by Willem Schellinks, dating from sometime between 1637 and 1678. It’s rendered in ink, pencil, and etching, and the overall effect is quite muted, almost dreamlike. It's a lovely cityscape. What jumps out at you when you look at it? Curator: Well, for starters, it whispers of journeys, doesn’t it? Like a faded postcard from a Grand Tour, hinting at sun-drenched shores and the siren call of faraway lands. Look at how Schellinks captured Messina – not just as a city, but as an invitation. That distant shore, barely sketched, yet somehow so evocative. Does it make you wonder about what it felt like to arrive in Messina by sea back then? Editor: Absolutely! It feels both romantic and historically grounded, especially knowing it's from the Baroque period. How did this artist’s particular style shape how we perceive this scene today? Curator: Ah, a delicious question! Schellinks' Baroque touch, softened by the media he chose, pulls us in close. Not everything is perfectly rendered, is it? There's a vagueness that stirs our own imaginations. I see it almost as a memory; not everything sharp, the essence highlighted instead. Think of a song whose melody you recall vividly but whose words have faded away… what do *you* see in that stylistic choice? Editor: That's a beautiful analogy! I guess it's like, he’s offering a framework and inviting us to fill in the details based on our own interpretations. It is almost collaborative! Curator: Precisely! Schellinks has managed to create an open space. Art doesn't have to provide all the answers, it's beautiful when we as observers get to reflect what we bring to it. I’m so glad we noticed the opportunity it offered for reflection, how about you? Editor: Definitely. Thinking about art this way makes it more accessible. Now, I feel more appreciative of the artist's intentions as well.