X Veeltijdts wat nieuws, selden wat goets 1614

Curator: We are looking at an engraving by Roemer Visscher entitled "X Veeltijdts wat nieuws, selden wat goets," created in 1614. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. What strikes you first about this image? Editor: Immediately, the density of the lines and the stark contrast of light and shadow create a claustrophobic yet strangely humorous feel. There’s a satirical tension, don’t you think? The subject smoking has the presence of the subject matter being of great importance in society at that time. Curator: The piece is indeed rife with detail. Visscher masterfully uses engraving to create texture, particularly in the figure's hair and beard, and in the smoke billowing around him. Note how the composition draws your eye upwards along the pipe, accentuating its phallic symbolism. Editor: I think there is a deliberate critique here of contemporary fascinations. The Dutch title, roughly translating to "Often something new, rarely something good," suggests that novelty—like this fashionable practice of tobacco smoking—is often pursued to detriment. Curator: Precisely. Considering this engraving's position within a book—adjacent to a block of printed text—we see two forms of communication intersecting: one visual, one textual. Visscher uses them both to convey his message about human folly. Editor: And that folly has socioeconomic implications. Who has the leisure to partake in these "new" vices? The visual emphasizes access and class that creates a separation in early 17th century Netherlands, which had its fair share of colonial exploitation too. Curator: A valuable point. Indeed, the historical context of tobacco, as a commodity introduced through colonial trade, adds another layer of interpretation, critiquing societal structures of wealth, privilege and pleasure seeking. Editor: Examining the subject’s act of consumption helps in understanding the visual language that permeates every aspect of the scene. Curator: Analyzing how the materials and methods combine illuminates a subtle commentary on 17th-century values and aesthetics. Editor: This image is a testament to art's capacity to reveal intricate histories, capturing something of its era and, still, resonates so clearly today.