Auditus / Het Gehoor 1620 - 1652

Curator: Here we have "Auditus / Het Gehoor", or "The Sense of Hearing," an etching by Cornelis van Kittensteyn, created sometime between 1620 and 1652. Editor: Oh, that's cool! My first impression is that it's capturing this really intimate musical moment... the way the musician seems to be serenading these elegantly dressed figures, but with a cheeky twinkle in his eye. Curator: It certainly seems so. It is one in a series that personifies the five senses. Given the historical context, we might consider the portrayal of class and privilege within Dutch Golden Age society, how music functions here as a signifier of cultural refinement, leisure, or even status. Editor: Absolutely! And the way he uses line! There's so much texture in those outfits. All those puffy sleeves, laced corsets, the detailing is nuts! It makes me wonder about how music might provide a temporary escape or reinforce these social hierarchies. Are they really into it, or just going through the motions? Curator: It's a useful reading. One can explore it in terms of social constructs that define our engagement with the world around us. Consider, for example, who has access to "high culture" like this? How does this scene relate to broader conversations about representation, access, and cultural capital in the 17th Century? Editor: Yeah, that tension’s totally visible! And there is something funny too. His expression! It’s as though he’s in on the joke! Like "listen up ladies, here comes another ditty!” Maybe it shows not everything’s as serious as those starched ruffs would suggest. Curator: Precisely, because even art made centuries ago speaks to us today—forcing us to think about power, representation, and how we hear each other, even across the boundaries of time. Editor: True that. All these lines and shadows, then all these notes. Who knew silence could shout so loudly?