Susanna en de ouderlingen 1761 - 1804

Editor: So, this is "Susanna and the Elders," an engraving dating somewhere between 1761 and 1804, by Jörg Breu de Jonge. I'm struck by the busyness of the composition and the sharp contrast between light and dark, it's a little unsettling. What can you tell me about it, from a formal perspective? Curator: Indeed, the composition here warrants immediate attention. Note the strategic use of the architectural elements – the wall, the gate – to segment the pictorial space. The artist is drawing our eyes from left to right in order to advance a sequential unfolding of this narrative. Observe, also, the angular positioning of the figures – the two elders lurk, voyeuristic, framing Susanna as a central, but distinctly objectified, visual point. Editor: So, you are saying the arrangement and shape of things are designed to make us feel uneasy about their roles? Is it drawing a parallel between us the viewers and these figures? Curator: That is precisely it. Consider, also, the employment of varying densities of cross-hatching to generate depth and shadow. Is it not a visual mechanism by which moral "darkness" becomes materially manifest, clinging to those very elders, implicating their actions in the shadows cast? Notice how Susanna is the figure of smooth light while the conspirators are in the shadows. What might that opposition suggest to us? Editor: I guess the absence of cross-hatching draws us to her as a beacon. I see the composition is more than just a depiction. It actively positions the viewer, encouraging us to reflect on moral judgment and perspective, correct? Curator: Exactly. It’s in these carefully considered oppositions and orientations, both literal and figurative, that Breu creates meaning. Editor: That's fascinating. I had not picked up on that. I was focused on the theme, rather than the execution. I appreciate how this gives us an even deeper insight. Curator: It all speaks to the beauty and depth that close formal reading can reveal!