Dans om het gouden kalf 1606 - 1674

Editor: So, here we have Leonaert Bramer’s “Dance around the Golden Calf,” likely created sometime between 1606 and 1674. It’s currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes me immediately is this nervous, almost frantic energy. It's like a quick sketch from a dream… Or maybe a nightmare? What catches your eye when you look at it? Curator: You know, “fever dream” isn't far off, actually. It makes me think about collective moments, those intense gatherings where the line between ecstasy and… well, something darker, gets blurred. Look at the sketch-like quality of it. Bramer doesn’t give us polished figures but instead prioritizes capturing the feeling, the frenetic dance itself. Have you ever found yourself swept up in a crowd like that, feeling a strange mixture of belonging and total detachment? Editor: Definitely. That feeling of being both part of something and completely anonymous... almost overwhelmed. Is that the "golden calf" atop the pillar? Curator: It is. In the biblical story, the golden calf represents the Israelites’ lapse in faith, their turn to idolatry while Moses is up on Mount Sinai getting the Ten Commandments. Bramer captures that moment of human weakness. Do you notice how the figures aren’t idealized? They are human, caught in the throes of impulse and earthly desires. And how interesting, don't you think, to show us a very human failing. Editor: Absolutely. I think I understand why it's less about judgment and more about observing human nature, our inherent imperfections. It's not necessarily condoning, or condemning, but illustrating. I was definitely quick to judge! Curator: Art has a beautiful way of prompting such self-reflection. It’s about understanding, not judging, the dance of our own natures, I suppose. And isn't it beautiful to see that explored through the hand of an artist? Editor: For sure! A refreshing reminder that even the masters saw themselves reflected in those very human failings.