Paus opent de Heilige Deur tijdens het Jubeljaar 1752 - 1789

Editor: Here we have Caspar Jacobsz. Philips’ engraving, “Pope Opens the Holy Door during the Jubilee Year,” created sometime between 1752 and 1789. I’m struck by how the artist uses line to create a sense of depth and grandeur. What do you see in this piece, looking at it formally? Curator: Precisely, the masterful use of line dictates the construction of space, wouldn't you agree? The linear perspective directs the viewer's gaze from the foreground figures, rendered with considerable detail, towards the receding architectural space, culminating in the implied depth of the distant balcony. Notice how the engraving technique, the density and directionality of the lines, models form and evokes light and shadow, establishing a distinct visual hierarchy. Editor: Yes, it's almost theatrical! The cross seems like the central vanishing point in a play. Curator: A relevant observation. Now, let's consider the composition. The balance is asymmetrical yet deliberate. The verticality of the columns contrasts against the horizontal registers of figures. The engraver organizes his composition not merely by depicting, but by establishing an intricate web of visual relationships. What’s your take on that specific relation between horizontal and vertical elements? Editor: The verticality makes it rigid while the horizontality balances it, or at least tries to…! It feels intentionally staged. I wonder if Philips was making some other statement by making it look like this, and if there are intentional details about the formal wear of all these characters… Curator: It does ask some specific considerations in the visual elements to the piece! This structured arrangement serves to orchestrate the viewer's experience of the depicted scene. Editor: I see that. It’s quite revealing how much can be communicated through form alone, and looking this deeply certainly gives me much to consider and to appreciate about Philips’ work!