Liefdespaar 1670 - 1724

Curator: I'm drawn to the Dutch Golden Age aesthetic. This piece, "Liefdespaar" or "Loving Couple", by Jacob Gole, probably completed sometime between 1670 and 1724, uses engraving to portray a domestic scene tinged with, shall we say, worldly desires. It’s currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Worldly desires, yes! My first impression? Mischief. Definitely mischief and maybe a hint of awkwardness. The light sort of stabs out of the dark background, throwing the whole scene into sharp relief. It makes the expressions—particularly that sly look on his face—unavoidable. Curator: The artist plays on several key tensions: male gaze and female subject, wealth and domesticity, intimacy and... exploitation? Gole presents a composition with strong erotic undercurrents and challenges conventional portrayals of domestic bliss. It's deeply entwined with questions of class, gender, and the societal objectification of women in that period. Editor: You know, I’m focusing more on the waffle stack on the table than the political statements here! But you’re right; it’s definitely *something*. Look at the way she’s holding the wine glass, all fidgety. This feels staged and not like stolen glance, it reminds me when my uncles drank too much at the dinner table and felt touchy. Curator: The "staginess," if we can call it that, contributes to the piece’s narrative weight. The interior becomes a stage for the performance of desire, underscoring the imbalance of power between the figures represented. The setting, a seemingly ordinary scene, becomes the theater where these societal power dynamics play out. It is less about portraying pure innocence or affection, and more about exposing an exploitive exchange. Editor: Maybe that’s why it feels a little sad, too? Beneath the smirk, there's something not so sweet and real lurking about this 'Liefdespaar'. Not just talking about how one partner leers as he's reaching around, I also mean how there are untouched wafers separating the two figures in their lust. That, to me, speaks a thousand bitter words. Curator: Agreed. It encourages us to interrogate, not just observe, the layers of social positioning evident within. This work isn’t a celebration; it’s a critical examination. Editor: So, next time I want to make an uncomfortable social statement about a situation, I’m engraving a waffle stack! Curator: (chuckles) Well said! Or, at least, acutely observed. Thank you.