Assyriërs - het Rijk van Sanherib verwoest 1645 - 1646

Curator: Immediately striking. Look at the sharp contrasts, the way the figures emerge from the dark ground – quite Baroque! Editor: Indeed. This is “Assyriërs - het Rijk van Sanherib verwoest,” or, “The Assyrians - the Kingdom of Sennacherib Destroyed.” An engraving done between 1645 and 1646 by Jeremias Falck. The composition is rather dynamic for a print, wouldn't you say? Curator: Absolutely. The diagonal of the king's body, contrasted against the rearing beast… It pulls the eye directly from the top left to the lower right corner. The swirling lines almost feel like an exaggeration of form, a movement against the destruction, almost. What’s your reading? Editor: Well, it is difficult not to notice that king with a frantic gesture warding something off. There’s this figure almost like an angel behind him. It makes me wonder if it suggests a struggle against divine wrath. Also that snarling creature—it almost looks like a lion and reinforces a primal fear. Curator: Yes, fear. Perhaps we can focus on the figure’s garb to provide greater clarification on the themes at play here. Note the detail etched into his crown and the intricate metalwork of the monarch's necklace… these are all signifiers of power but serve as a striking contrast to his evident fright. It suggests, possibly, the vanity of earthly rule, doesn’t it? Editor: It very much does. The chaos unfolding behind them, what appear to be figures falling from the sky perhaps reflects this. Symbols of pride clashing with symbols of faith in that one image. In many ways, the print serves as a powerful depiction of the futility of hubris, and is also just a beautifully textured example of the engraver's art. Curator: Precisely. And, upon closer inspection, the contrast between dark and light further highlights the figures’ terror amidst their ruin. All elements working in service of… despair, wouldn't you say? A piece laden with layers of visual information indeed. Editor: Quite, allowing its message to truly endure across time.