Choir and stalls in St George's Chapel, Windsor 1660

Editor: This is Wenceslaus Hollar’s "Choir and stalls in St George's Chapel, Windsor," created in 1660. The level of detail in this engraving is just astonishing. The rows of seats seem to stretch into infinity, creating an atmosphere of quiet grandeur. How would you interpret this work, looking at it now? Curator: Oh, it sweeps you right in, doesn't it? I see a symphony of lines, a meticulous dance between light and shadow. It makes me think about how Hollar, even though living in a tumultuous era, captures not just the architecture but the very soul of the place. It’s almost meditative. Do you get that feeling too, a sense of spiritual introspection? Editor: I do, actually. The lines, all so precise, almost create a sense of…hymn? What I mean is they guide your eyes upward as if inviting you to some sort of transcendence. Did Hollar perhaps aim to showcase both, physical space and religious emotion? Curator: Precisely! This was a time of rebuilding, both physically and spiritually, after decades of turmoil in England. I imagine Hollar, through this painstaking process of engraving each tiny line, was finding his own way to rebuild, to reconnect with a sense of order and enduring beauty. What do you make of the scale? The small figures against such a vast interior? Editor: Well, the figures emphasize the chapel’s imposing architecture and underscore humanity's humble place within something so grand, something almost eternal. Is that sort of comparison common for the period, perhaps? Curator: Very astute! Consider it this way: in this intricate play between the monumental and the minute, we grasp a certain historical sensibility; the profound relationship between faith, power, and human experience in the 17th century. Editor: So, it is far more than just a cityscape on paper; it is an invitation to reflect on space, time and spirituality? Curator: Indeed. Now I see this engraving with new eyes, it became a little bit more alive to me thanks to you.