Madonna met kind 1618 - 1655

Editor: So here we have Cornelis Schut's "Madonna met Kind" from somewhere between 1618 and 1655, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s an etching, a print. It strikes me as quite intimate, almost a tender moment captured with stark lines. How do you see this work? Curator: Ah, yes, a piece brimming with an almost fierce, whispered love, wouldn't you agree? The etched lines, aren't they fascinating? They aren't delicate, they aren't soft; rather, they feel urgent, passionate. I imagine Schut hunched over the plate, each scratch a declaration. Notice how the hatching creates not just shadow but almost a vibrating energy around them both. Does that resonate with you at all? Editor: Definitely. I hadn't thought about it that way, but the "vibrating energy" is a good description! I was so focused on the line work, which is so different from paintings of the Madonna and Child. Curator: Precisely! It lacks the opulent colours of typical Baroque Madonnas, doesn’t it? It forces a focus on the raw emotion, that very human connection. Schut distills the story to its core elements – motherhood, divinity, love… Does it make you consider the function of religious imagery perhaps in a more accessible light? Editor: Absolutely. It’s less about divine grandeur and more about human connection. Thanks! Curator: A delightful shift in perspective, isn't it? Makes me think we’ve both gazed upon this sacred bond with fresh eyes today.