Vier drempeldichten 1618

Editor: This printed textile is titled "Vier drempeldichten", or "Four Threshold Poems," from 1618, celebrating Maria Strick. It features typography that almost feels woven in itself! There’s something rather formal and reverential about the arrangement of the poems on this printed page. What stands out to you, beyond just the obvious textual content? Curator: Indeed! You see how these printed words take on a texture, like tapestry. These are praise poems for a woman accomplished in the arts, written in a time when such recognition wasn’t readily given. Each poem praises her skill with words. The “threshold” in the title, "drempeldichten," also suggests entering a space – a space of intellectual achievement and perhaps a challenge to societal expectations. See how the sonnet echoes the classical allusions? Editor: You're right. The writers are comparing her intellect to Cicero and Plato. Almost making her godly with those comparisons! Did women often receive this kind of praise at that time? Curator: Not often, and perhaps this points to something quite clever here! Notice how many voices speak to Strick’s talents? She must’ve inspired quite the fervor in her literary circle. Imagine the impact of these printed declarations of worth for a woman! Each section could also represent a doorway... What’s this textile *doing* beyond just presenting praise, and for whom? Editor: I never thought about each poem as a door, with these poets, these men, allowing her through to something. Curator: Precisely. It’s more than just flattery; it’s about recognition. I think Strick left her door open and that the works would resonate deeply in her circles of friends, for a good time afterwards, as well. The whole work stands in service to legacy making. What a clever collection of voices on display.