Consternatie om de gewonde Belton 1769 - 1779

Curator: Look at this engaging print, "Consternatie om de gewonde Belton," attributed to Noach van der Meer II, likely created between 1769 and 1779. It’s currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My initial reaction? A controlled chaos. The crisp lines of the engraving highlight the distress, the way the figures cluster and reach toward the central wounded figure is really compelling. It draws you right into their emotional space. Curator: The Baroque influence is palpable, I think. The theatrical composition, the dramatic lighting, and the overt display of emotion...it speaks to that era. The artist utilized the linear quality of the engraving medium really well here. Note the textures rendered by close hatching. Editor: Indeed. Considering the societal norms of the late 18th century, particularly among the well-to-do, there is an emphasis on decorum. Yet, the scene undermines that: a literal unmasking of private anguish for public consumption. I would wager prints like these circulated among specific circles as both entertainment and cautionary tales. Curator: Interesting. What I see are deliberate compositional choices and techniques designed to elicit responses. How the figure recoiling on the left leads your eye directly toward the group assisting Belton is brilliant. The contrast, then, with the quieter grouping around the candle is artful staging that gives complexity to the feeling of “consternation." Editor: Yes, I wonder to what extent this work can be thought of as social commentary, beyond just the literal representation of “genre” as these images sometimes tend to be classified. Curator: Agreed. Thank you for highlighting that tension, for pushing me past my structural reading! It prompts one to consider what other insights about social mores await discovery here.