Young woman wearing a feathered cap 1647

Curator: The work we’re looking at is an engraving by Wenceslaus Hollar, created in 1647. It’s titled “Young Woman Wearing a Feathered Cap” and it's part of the Metropolitan Museum's collection. What strikes you first about it? Editor: Elegance, definitely. And a certain somberness. There’s an austerity to the lines, a kind of controlled seriousness. The detail in that feathered cap is quite something though, especially for an engraving. Curator: Hollar was a master of capturing detail. The way he uses hatching and cross-hatching to create tone and texture is really remarkable. I find the stark contrasts make her features look really modern, despite it being Baroque era. Editor: I’m intrigued by the hat, too. It anchors your gaze. Note how the light plays across the soft plumage, while the dark fabric frames her face. Almost like she is peering out of darkness and into the light. Is that kind of symbolism typical of Baroque portraits? Curator: Very much so! Baroque art is often about drama and emotional intensity, exploring contrasts like light and shadow— chiaroscuro. Think of it as staging. The young woman's almost plain clothing contrasts with the intricacy of her cap, highlighting her youthful features. There's also something inherently melancholy about many of Hollar’s portraits that speaks to the temperaments of the sitters themselves. Editor: I see what you mean about drama, it definitely has that feeling! What really gets me is the scale and texture, though, like looking into the mind of someone across time, so intensely rendered. This feels different from seeing a photograph, which often tells me more about what somebody looks like but very little about what that somebody is. It’s haunting, almost like a shadow cast over centuries. Curator: Engravings possess an intimacy, that direct touch between the artist and plate is almost palpable! Seeing such dedication always excites my inner thoughts. It feels like Hollar poured hours of intense concentration into it, don’t you think? Editor: It seems like it; this piece reveals beauty in constraint and I enjoyed seeing how light and darkness interplay. I am thankful I got to share that moment of artistic connection and perception.