Oude blinde bedelaar c. 1770

Curator: Here we have Pieter Langendijk's "Oude blinde bedelaar" or "Old blind beggar," an engraving from around 1770. Editor: Yes, it’s a small print, quite detailed. The figure of the old man is very striking; there's such careful attention to the lines that create texture in his clothing and beard. I’m wondering, as a formalist, what visual elements stand out to you the most in this work? Curator: Observe the strategic deployment of line. Langendijk employs hatching and cross-hatching to generate a range of tonal values, crafting a sense of volume and depth on a flat plane. Consider how this technique informs the overall composition, guiding the viewer's gaze. The artist directs our attention by varying the density and orientation of these lines. What do you notice about how light and shadow are constructed through line? Editor: Well, the lines are denser in the shadows under his hat and around his feet, which makes those areas recede. But the highlights on his face and clothing are created with much sparser lines, drawing them forward. Curator: Precisely. This considered arrangement generates contrast, thereby defining the subject’s form. Note the way the lines flow to suggest the contours of his body and the textures of his garments. Are there inconsistencies in the treatment? What does it signify to you that his shoe appears alone on the lower stool to the right? Editor: It gives an immediate sensation of incompleteness... something unresolved. Maybe even abandonment? The rest of the composition seems so deliberately balanced, that missing shoe sticks out. Curator: Interesting. Could this emptiness function formally and metaphorically as a statement regarding themes such as dereliction? Also, can you tell me your opinion regarding Langendijk's intentions about line to communicate meaning within a work? Editor: That's an interesting angle! I'll definitely look at engravings differently from now on.