Attributen behorende bij Pax en visserij 1769 - 1842

Editor: This engraving, titled "Attributen behorende bij Pax en visserij" from around 1769-1842 and attributed to Johann Carl Schleich, shows a series of vignettes with tools and objects related to peace and fishing, all intricately drawn. The detailed lines and almost symmetrical arrangements give it a formal, decorative feeling. What strikes you most about the composition? Curator: It is a fine example of the period's decorative arts, Editor. Note the careful balance of elements in each vignette. Schleich has arranged objects like fishing nets, horns, and tools within floral borders to create visually pleasing compositions. How do you perceive the lines within each grouping? Editor: I notice they’re consistently thin and precise, creating a sense of delicacy. And there's a deliberate contrast between the textures, like the smoothness of a horn versus the roughness of a fishing net. Curator: Precisely. Schleich uses line to define form and texture. He constructs volume and depth through hatching and varied line weights. Notice how this meticulous technique enhances the visual clarity and formal quality of each vignette. Can you identify a possible underlying structure uniting each vignette? Editor: Each vignette seems to center around two crossed implements of some kind, which creates a grounding visual symmetry. Is there more that could be said on the specific types of lines used here? Curator: Schleich also utilized implied lines – the eye follows the arrangement of objects, connecting them, creating further visual coherence and structural integrity. It is an excellent method that provides each grouping a sense of equilibrium. Editor: That's fascinating! I never considered the implied lines before, but that adds a whole new dimension to how the image is constructed. Thanks so much for breaking down Schleich's structural choices with me! Curator: It has been my pleasure, Editor. By examining the work in terms of structure, balance, and its intrinsic visual language, one gains a fresh, more considered understanding of it.