Cartouche omgeven door moresken, in de linker en rechter bovenhoek hangt een mascaron c. 1555 - 1560

Editor: This is a print called "Cartouche surrounded by moresques, with a mascaron hanging in the upper left and right corners," dating back to 1555-1560, made by Johannes or Lucas van Doetechum, currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. The elaborate ornamentation surrounding the blank cartouche has an intriguing, almost dizzying effect on the eye. What story do you think it's trying to tell? Curator: Story… ah, but perhaps it is a stage instead? See how the architectural lines of the moresques – that maze-like patterning – pull us back and then these grotesque masks peek out from the corners, little gargoyles guarding the play? And then your eye comes back to rest at that very blank center; the unwritten story is our own to fill in. Or the patron’s. It’s a looking glass pointed at ourselves. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it as a stage, more like ornate wallpaper for a grand hall. The birds and weapons seem oddly placed, like unexpected guests at the theater. Curator: Unexpected, maybe. But think about Renaissance symbolism. Those weapons, those birds… do they represent power? Flight of fancy? The dance between opposing forces within the mind? They bring such playful balance, no? This cartouche would elevate someone’s personal motto, seal, bookplate... it’s a beautiful, complex invitation. Editor: I see it differently now – a frame waiting for its portrait. It's more dynamic than I first thought, filled with possibility rather than just decoration. Thanks! Curator: Indeed! A lovely ruin, or perhaps, an unearthed treasure waiting for re-discovery. Isn't art grand?