Het Gehoor 1700 - 1724

This is Jacob Gole's "Het Gehoor", a monochrome engraving likely made around the late 17th or early 18th century. The composition features two figures, one with a lute, the other with a harp, positioned within a structured domestic setting. The contrasting textures, created through varied line work, draw the eye across the image, inviting a sensory experience. Gole uses structured forms to explore themes of harmony, balance, and sensory perception. The composition functions as a semiotic system. The musical instruments represent the harmony between the senses and intellect. The figures’ placement and interaction, constructed from lines and forms, invite us to consider the interplay between performance and audience, self and other. Consider how the structured design of the print functions as a cultural artifact reflecting artistic conventions of the time and the social context in which it was made. The artwork challenges us to examine how we understand the relationship between art, sensory experience, and social interaction.