Vrouw in bed met een kaars 1683 - 1746

Curator: Here we have "Woman in Bed by Candlelight," a compelling engraving attributed to Nicolaas Verkolje, likely crafted somewhere between 1683 and 1746. It's part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, and the longer you look at it, the more intriguing it becomes. Editor: You're right. At first glance, it's the candle that grabs you. This single light source casts such an intimate and mysterious glow. You immediately wonder what is she smiling at? The room looks both elegant and somehow unsettling at the same time. Curator: Precisely! This is where the iconography starts whispering to us. Think of the Baroque period - a love for dramatic lighting, strong emotion, but there is always more than meets the eye. Candlelight itself symbolizes fleeting time, mortality. But this genre scene adds complexity. Editor: So the ephemeral light is coupled with her partially disrobed figure, but the bedsheets add a domestic and perhaps slightly comedic touch to what could have been seen as sensual. She's clearly in her boudoir, engaging in an intimate activity. Is she aware of us, the viewers? The implied intimacy feels almost invasive. Curator: Ah, exactly! Think about that era’s obsession with secrecy, hidden meanings. There is some element of moralising there too - she’s holding a light near to a mirror perhaps. There is almost certainly some vanity associated with the scene - the kind that can distract you when things in reality can be a little different, and little more painful than that nice clean light on your face at the end of the day! Editor: That contrast is powerful. What might seem a simple genre scene also holds so much more depth about private worlds, appearances, and inner reflections... something that art always does well I guess! Curator: Exactly. And that’s what I find so enchanting about Verkolje's piece; how it teases us into peeling back its many layers. It holds up a light to the everyday, revealing deeper complexities of the human condition, however darkly! Editor: Yes. There’s real humanism within it, both exposed and protected, creating an experience you don’t forget easily. Thanks, Nicolaas.