Blazoen van de Vlaardingse rederijkerskamer Den Aeckerboom, 1594 1594

Editor: This is "Blazoen van de Vlaardingse rederijkerskamer Den Aeckerboom, 1594," created by an anonymous artist. It's an ink and paper engraving. I find the intricate details and the old engraving style fascinating, but also a bit overwhelming. What immediately stands out to you, in terms of its formal qualities? Curator: Note the symmetrical balance, held within the textured asymmetrical embellishment. A fascinating structural contradiction. See how the artist used an oval to create the primary pictorial plane, bounded by rectangular picture plane? This, again, proposes an opposition of forms. Where do you eyes rest as it travels through the line work of the drawing? Editor: My eye is drawn to the crucified figure and then down to the banner that reads something in Latin at the bottom of the drawing. I'm interested by the level of detail but don't fully understand what’s represented or highlighted. Curator: Focus on that line, it is exquisite in this drawing. Look at how thin and deliberate, it moves and ebbs like dance between the object plane and the page. This kind of engraving exemplifies the relationship between line and surface, positive and negative. How would you describe the composition within the oval? Editor: I see. Within the oval there are multiple levels. You start with Jesus and the tree on which he is nailed. Then there are the mountain ranges on the very bottom. What does it mean to the piece's construction overall? Curator: Notice the interplay of textual elements as shape. The banner intersects with the lower mountain line as part of the illustration. Do you notice how this intersection affects the construction of the drawing? Editor: That's something I hadn't noticed before. This gives me a new appreciation for the art of printmaking. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. The relationship between text and image in graphic form, like line and volume, constitutes the aesthetic experience and allows to decode and appreciate artistic practices, while highlighting both material and visual culture of artistic works.