De schepping 1772

Editor: Here we have "De Schepping," or "The Creation," an engraving by Jan Caspar Philips from 1772, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. I'm immediately struck by the division into two scenes, one of the earth forming and the other presenting an idyllic landscape with Adam. How do you interpret this work? Curator: This print provides an interesting lens through which to examine 18th-century perceptions of the biblical creation story. Consider the power dynamics inherent in depicting the genesis of life through a patriarchal lens. Who is granted agency here? Editor: Adam, certainly, being present and named. But the creative power is clearly situated elsewhere, in this unseeable God. Curator: Exactly. Philips is working within a tradition that visually reinforces hierarchical structures. God, imagined as masculine, creates and man receives. The lower image, the creation of mankind, emphasizes this control with its tranquil landscape, reminiscent of an ordered estate. How might this landscape reflect the socio-political environment of the 18th century? Editor: I see what you mean; the emphasis is on order and control, themes prevalent in aristocratic society at that time. Were challenges to these hierarchies reflected in art of this period? Curator: Precisely. Artists increasingly questioned established authority, paving the way for revolutions in art and society. Thinking about the lack of Eve's presence, and linking that to historical inequalities, what statement does this say about whose story is perceived as worthy to immortalize? Editor: I didn't consider the under-representation when focusing on this image. That perspective reframes the entire artwork and makes me wonder about whose version of "creation" we're seeing. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. Art encourages questioning and reframing—to allow a wider appreciation of representation within history.