Schip met Hercules op het achtersteven c. 1635

Editor: Here we have "Ship with Hercules on the Stern," from around 1635, an engraving displayed at the Rijksmuseum, though its artist remains anonymous. It’s, well, it's definitely *a lot*, isn’t it? Like a dragon vomiting smoke leading a floating fortress. What's your take on this, what do you see when you look at it? Curator: Oh, my dear, “a lot” is putting it mildly! But that's the beauty of Baroque—it’s theatrical! It's as if someone said, “Let's build a boat…but make it EXTRA!” Look at Hercules himself, perched like an emperor. It’s history painting masquerading as a maritime adventure! It seems deeply allegorical, don't you think? What stories might this boat tell? Editor: It's all so intricate! Hercules looking down upon the masses seems to say power and dominance. All the little people stand stiffly while this mythical boat powered by a huge dragon looks intimidating, if you were in its way. It is history painting! Curator: Precisely! I find myself wondering if this engraving captures some political ambition, you know? Maybe some naval bravado, an unspoken power struggle on the seas rendered in symbolic form! Editor: It does seem symbolic of so much, perhaps this print was aiming at some glory or celebration! Thank you. It will certainly change the way I perceive historical paintings going forward. Curator: It's the marriage of history, mythology and human drama, isn’t it? Happy sailing, in thought and theory, and thanks for taking the journey with me!