Titelblad voor het pamflet: Opera van Andromache te Milaanen, 1702 1702

Editor: This is "Titelblad voor het pamflet: Opera van Andromache te Milaanen, 1702," an engraving made in 1702 by Romeyn de Hooghe. It has a slightly chaotic, theatrical feel to it. All of those lines! What do you see happening here? Curator: Chaos, indeed! I'm struck by the energy, that nervous line buzzing around the figures, a hallmark of the late Baroque. De Hooghe's clearly playing with the concept of opera, isn't he? I can almost hear the dramatic arias. And look at the figures in the foreground—are they reacting to what's happening on stage, or are they *part* of the performance? Is it a political cartoon? Is it an indictment of courtly excess? Editor: That's a great question about foreground vs. stage! The whole thing does have the feel of political satire... but what about the mythological scene playing out in the background? What would Andromache have to do with Milan at the turn of the 18th century? Curator: Exactly! Context is king, wouldn't you say? Consider the War of the Spanish Succession brewing at the time, all that operatic drama of dynastic ambition playing out on the European stage. De Hooghe might just be poking fun at the *pomposity* of it all, the tragic queen and the ridiculous strutting courtiers... all figures in a grand, somewhat absurd performance. I'm guessing Andromache's suffering probably mirrors some political distress of the period. Editor: So it's like he's using a familiar story to comment on current events. Very clever! It feels less chaotic now and more deliberate. Curator: Yes, exactly. Art is like that, isn't it? Chaotic until it isn't, if you get me. Editor: Thanks so much for sharing, it makes me think I should look into it myself! Curator: You definitely should, young blood, you definitely should.