Graflegging 1585 - 1642

Editor: So, this is Guido Reni's "Graflegging," which I understand to be a print from sometime between 1585 and 1642, residing here at the Rijksmuseum. It definitely has a somber feel, all those etched lines creating a kind of hazy grief. What draws your eye, what's the first thing you notice when you look at this? Curator: Ah, the etching. It feels almost like looking at a half-remembered dream, doesn’t it? For me, it's the figures huddled together. Reni captures such a deep sense of sorrow and intimacy in their postures. Look at how they're almost draped over each other, united in their mourning. There’s a tangible vulnerability, wouldn't you agree? The cross-hatching in the background almost feels like a collective exhale of grief. Editor: I see what you mean. They're like a single, sorrowful mass. The way their faces are obscured adds to the anonymity of grief. Why etching, though? Did that choice add something specific? Curator: Etching gives a wonderful opportunity to produce nuanced shades, which suits a tender subject. Etching is like a whisper – it demands you lean in, to study, to almost touch. Perhaps that intimate engagement mirrors the close, almost suffocating grief on display here. And of course, making multiples was part of the language in the baroque period, to extend artistic statements for all to see, debate and judge! Don't you think that distribution made Reni, in his way, a sort of 17th century content creator? Editor: Hmm, I hadn't thought about that, but it’s so true. I initially saw it as a straightforward religious scene, but now I’m seeing a reflection on collective pain, too. Curator: Exactly! And perhaps we all create little echoes of these images through experiencing the artwork… almost copies from copies, reflections of reflections… The more it is contemplated, the better is its preservation! Editor: That's a cool way to think about it. Thanks; it's definitely given me a richer appreciation for this piece.