Het Laatste Avondmaal 1598 - 1690

Editor: This engraving, "Het Laatste Avondmaal" or "The Last Supper," by Hendrick Goltzius, dates sometime between 1598 and 1690. I'm struck by the contrast between the hushed indoor scene and the bustling cityscape visible through the window. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes, Goltzius. He wasn't just rendering a biblical moment; he was crafting an entire world, a dialogue between the sacred and the secular, the immediate and the eternal. Notice how the weighty Baroque drama of the table scene gives way to something almost Flemish and quaint in the background. It's like two paintings vying for attention on the same canvas. Editor: So, is he trying to say something about the relevance of faith in everyday life? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe it’s just the world as he knew it – sacred stories lived out amidst the everyday hustle and bustle. Goltzius was a master engraver. Look at the lines, how they create depth and shadow, giving weight to the figures and texture to the scene. I almost feel like I could reach out and touch that carafe on the table! What do you make of Judas? Editor: He's down there, at the edge, a sort of shadowy figure. And what’s with his foot! Curator: Precisely. He is a weighty anchor pulling our eye. Goltzius wasn't afraid to use such details to move our gaze. That foot tells the beginning of another part of the story that you are probably well acquainted with, a tragic destiny set against a rather idyllic domestic backdrop, what a thing to contemplate. Editor: It's amazing how much storytelling can be packed into a single print. It definitely shifts my perspective on Goltzius. Curator: Exactly! Prints aren't just reproductions. They can be worlds unto themselves, each line a thought, a breath, a revelation. Now go forth and tell the tale!