Wapenschild van Félix Vialar 1608 - 1688

Curator: Let’s turn our attention now to Claude Mellan’s print, "Wapenschild van F\u00e9lix Vialar," which roughly translates to “Coat of Arms of Félix Vialar." This piece, dating between 1608 and 1688, showcases an elaborately engraved heraldic design, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Right off the bat, it’s the intricate line work that grabs you, isn’t it? All those minuscule engraved marks must have demanded incredible patience! Curator: Indeed. Mellan’s known for his mastery of the single line engraving technique. Here, observe how the varying pressure and spacing of a continuous line sculpt volume, shading, and texture, even with such minimalist means. Editor: It feels inherently bound up with class and privilege. You can see how such an elaborate family crest becomes a signifier. The material act of engraving itself—laborious, skilled, precious metal plates—mirrors the status Vialar wants to project. Curator: Absolutely, the coat of arms, itself, would have operated on symbolic language quite familiar at the time, but less so now. Fleur-de-lis, crosses... these all point towards identity and heritage. But I do find it endlessly fascinating to contemplate what stories families wish to project across the ages. Is it duty, devoutness, perhaps simply belonging? Editor: And even consider what metal would have been employed—copper? Silver? Gold even? Each holds a very different value both materially and symbolically. Its preservation relies just as heavily on where it hung and whose hands kept it safely, to say nothing of why. Curator: These objects are really a record of both material processes and aspirations; how Mellan’s hand and tools met the needs of Vialar's identity. As we see the geometric patterns on the shields framed by regal drapery, what are we but peering through time at something which sought to establish itself permanently? Editor: Permanence manufactured one careful stroke at a time. Even something so 'simple' can open up worlds of meaning about the means and messages behind displaying who you are.