Aeneas redt zijn vader uit het brandende Troje 1703 - 1767

Editor: This engraving by Jacob Folkema, made sometime between 1703 and 1767, is titled "Aeneas redt zijn vader uit het brandende Troje," or "Aeneas Rescuing his Father from Burning Troy." It depicts Aeneas carrying his father, and it just strikes me as…staged. Given the tragic scene, they seem oddly calm, even fashionable. What's your interpretation? Curator: You've hit upon a crucial point. While seemingly a straightforward illustration of a classical scene, its real subject might be the performance of virtue and authority. This print wasn't simply made; it was made within a particular cultural and political moment. Editor: What do you mean by “performance?” Curator: The careful arrangement of figures, the detailed clothing amidst chaos – it's about conveying a specific message to its intended 18th-century audience. Consider the burgeoning print market at this time; images were powerful tools in shaping public opinion and solidifying social hierarchies. How does Aeneas carrying his father serve as propaganda? Editor: So, you are saying that it's about an artistic, stylized expression of power? Curator: Precisely. Look at how Folkema utilizes line to create a sense of order amidst chaos. Does that linear precision truly reflect the horror of a city in flames, or does it instead communicate a message about reason prevailing? The question, I think, revolves around whose story this print is ultimately telling and why. Editor: So much to unpack. I'll definitely look at prints with new eyes now. Curator: And I think that really opens the door to understanding the world around us. Seeing prints, engravings not only as artworks but cultural documents.