Twee vrouwen bij kind met pijl in borst 1590 - 1624

Curator: Oh, what a curious little tableau. Something about the scene makes me think of a half-remembered dream. Editor: You’ve certainly captured the enigmatic atmosphere! This is an engraving from the period of 1590 to 1624, created by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert, and titled "Twee vrouwen bij kind met pijl in borst"—Two Women with Child with Arrow in Chest. Curator: Good heavens. So dramatic! One feels the urge to weep. It feels so operatic! Are we certain that it’s simply *an* arrow? I was half-expecting Cupid’s signature at the bottom. Editor: Yes, “simply” is doing some heavy lifting here. The imagery certainly evokes love and suffering. Remember the religious and social context of the time. While on one level, it's a narrative piece and deals with romantic themes, but perhaps the arrow and the suffering can be viewed more broadly as emblematic of life's trials. Curator: A trial, indeed! Those women are holding on to him for dear life, trying to hold it all together as he seemingly pleads for the arrow to be extracted! Does it sound callous if I also think they might be ever so slightly overdressed for the scene? Editor: I wouldn't say callous. Perhaps the artist is making a subtle point about societal expectations. It looks like there are lines from the Bible, Book of Canticles, etched into the artwork. Perhaps they feel restricted, weighted down by external expectations while the child confronts a more primal, agonizing experience. Or perhaps they are holy figures? It is up for debate. Curator: Hmmm, perhaps. It’s such a shame that the small scale obscures those lovely details, even if it does keep you guessing! The townscape and classical-looking building in the back feels almost like a separate story. Editor: Scale is interesting. Its intimacy draws us in, doesn’t it? Consider who might have commissioned this. The petite dimensions of the engraving speak to personal contemplation, meant for private viewing. So, our overdressed figures become players in a drama unfolding behind closed doors. Curator: And behind closed doors, arrows hurt just as much, I suspect. Editor: Precisely! Which only serves as a stark reminder that even centuries later, this art speaks to us, probing deeply into the complexities of emotion, duty, and existence.