Engel met haan, doornenkroon en rietstengel c. 1581 - 1645

Editor: So, here we have "Angel with Rooster, Crown of Thorns, and Reed Stalk," an engraving by Karel van Mallery, dating from sometime between 1581 and 1645. It feels…almost like a stage setting, a tableau. What do you see in it? Curator: Oh, a tableau is exactly right. It strikes me as deeply personal, almost a fever dream captured in ink. Look at the angel's expression – not serene, but contemplative, perhaps even burdened. What secrets does she know, gazing upward like that? The objects around her feel more like props in a Passion play rather than simple symbols, don’t they? I am drawn to the Latin phrase under the artwork - Gallus, arundo, manus, Spinea serta, docent which seems to translate to "rooster, reed, hand, crown of thorns, teaching." Isn’t it fascinating? What do you feel is being taught to us here? Editor: I see that connection, yeah! Like she's witnessing something profound. The rooster seems oddly out of place though. Curator: Ah, but the rooster's crow is a call to attention, isn't it? A reminder of Peter's betrayal, a moment of human frailty. Placed with the armour… Doesn’t the entire ensemble suggest a vulnerability within strength? It’s almost as though it captures the eternal battle between doubt and faith in one fleeting glance. Editor: Wow, I didn't think about the armor like that! I was focused on the textures of the engraving itself, the lines creating those almost velvety wings. It gives a real weight to the angel's presence. Curator: And notice how those velvety wings draw our eyes upwards, towards her gaze. Van Mallery is inviting us to consider the perspective of divine figures at pivotal moments in a really clever, visually evocative way. And as they bear witness to both earthly triumphs and earthly tragedies! What do you think? Editor: I love how you've made me rethink the composition. The rooster now seems central, instead of an oddity. I'm leaving this piece seeing how a master engraver can speak volumes with just line and form! Curator: Precisely, and perhaps that's the real lesson: art invites us to see beyond the surface, to find meaning in the unexpected juxtaposition of elements. That's why this seemingly quiet piece ends up having a certain raucous character.