Schenkkan met naakte man en draak 1628 - 1732

Curator: Look at this extraordinary engraving titled "Schenkkan met naakte man en draak," which translates to "Pitcher with Nude Man and Dragon". It's an anonymous piece from sometime between 1628 and 1732, housed right here at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes you first about it? Editor: It's wild, chaotic energy solidified in metal, or at least, the impression of it! My eye is immediately drawn to that swirling mass of figures—is it beautiful, terrifying, or both? It makes me feel… slightly seasick, actually! Curator: Well, "Baroque" as a style definitely aimed to evoke such visceral reactions. The engraving masterfully utilizes allegory here, it shows not just the pitcher, but its conceptual value, it isn't merely decorative but symbolic, telling a grand story in a concentrated image. Consider how the dragon is positioned versus the nude man. Editor: The dragon almost feels like the underdog here, pinned beneath this triumphant, if uncomfortable-looking, nude figure perched on the jug itself. Is it about man’s domination over primal nature, perhaps? It is strange - you see, in fairytales they get together... Is the artist pointing to something, I wonder... Curator: Precisely. Think about the jug, seemingly overflowing with symbolism from classical antiquity, of wealth and luxury. Then you see the figure atop—a human form subduing, not necessarily slaying, the dragon, representing perhaps wisdom, or civilized life prevailing over raw instinct or destructive chaos. It's worth thinking how in Baroque imagery, dragons can symbolize anything from temptation to evil and guarding treasure. Editor: That small face near the base is interesting too – so calm amidst the tempest above! A face of reassurance and serene awareness. Now, as I look a second time around, the broader landscape almost anchors the piece into reality, in total contrast with all those details we pointed out before. It's as if they represent what is being controlled: the land, the material world, all grounded with effort. Curator: It's like a symbolic landscape—a very subtle detail considering all that’s above! This anonymous print certainly encapsulates Baroque dynamism but leaves plenty of space for interpretive journeys through the visual language of its time. Editor: It's fascinating to think of such elaborate storytelling existing within a seemingly simple domestic object... Gives you a whole new respect for seventeenth-century tableware, doesn't it?