Jonge vrouw met lier staand in nis 1511 - 1520

Editor: Here we have "Young Woman with a Lyre Standing in a Niche," an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi, created sometime between 1511 and 1520. The figure is strikingly classical and yet reserved. I find it curious how contained she appears within the niche, cradling that lyre. What do you make of the framing? Curator: Isn't it interesting? This niche almost feels less like a grand architectural statement and more like... well, a very elegant cage. The figure’s relationship to music is so fascinating here! It is as if she and her lyre are meant to represent Harmony. What are your thoughts on the relationship of the figure and space? Editor: I see what you mean by “elegant cage.” It is interesting to consider that the very thing that should elevate the woman – her talent – confines her in a way. Her shoulders also seems unnaturally broad. Curator: The printing has almost flattened and squared her! Her garment is another striking component of this work; you almost want to touch and test the silk. Notice, however, that this volume of fabric obscures parts of the musical instrument itself. Does it soften her stance, do you think? Does it soften music itself? Editor: The garment does soften the overall form, offering a sense of humility perhaps. But thinking of how carefully she holds the lyre makes me question that a little... There is this sense of protectiveness, as if her artistry is extremely personal and even secretive. It almost demands reverence and respect. Curator: And isn't that such a delicious paradox! A "cage" of her own making... a silk garment which obscures... The beauty, here, resides not just in what Raimondi chose to show us but how the negative space and subtle textural rendering speak just as loudly. And that for me makes this a truly lasting, if enigmatic, composition.