Koning in aanbidding 1621 - 1667

Editor: This is "Koning in aanbidding," or "King in Adoration," an etching by Jacob Duck, dating from sometime between 1621 and 1667. The detail is striking, especially given the small scale and the medium. It gives the impression of reverence and… perhaps a bit of theatricality. What symbolic weight do you see in this image? Curator: Notice how Duck uses costume. That ornate robe draped over the figure – it's more than just fabric. It evokes ideas of Orientalism that were circulating during the Dutch Golden Age. The very act of kneeling – a Western convention, in this context— becomes a symbol itself, of the king's perceived subservience. Does that contrast interest you at all? Editor: Absolutely. The opulence of the robe against the… rather unflattering portrayal of the king himself. He's not idealized. It seems intentional, a deliberate subversion. The turban too; its meaning is further complicated with the addition of what appear to be Western symbols such as the censer, perhaps communicating wealth but also colonial power dynamics. Is this an embrace, a satire, or something in between? Curator: The ambiguity is precisely the point, isn't it? Duck places these recognizable symbols – both eastern and western— within a composition that's not declarative, it's questioning. The emotional weight of each element pulls in different directions, creating tension. Ask yourself where these loaded symbols circulate today? What purpose do they serve? Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t considered the deliberate use of contrasting symbols. It makes the image far more complex than I initially perceived, far more ambivalent. Curator: Exactly. We should always examine the multiple, and sometimes conflicting, layers within a work.