De hemelvaart van Maria 1630 - 1635

Curator: This pencil drawing is titled "The Ascension of Mary", and was created by Erasmus Quellinus sometime between 1630 and 1635. It currently resides in the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: It’s mostly gray tones but there’s something undeniably buoyant about it. The bottom half feels rooted with heavier figures around the altar, but the top just... floats away into the clouds. What’s happening here? Curator: The artwork portrays the narrative scene of the Virgin Mary's Assumption into Heaven. We can see her rising amidst a host of angels, ascending to be with God. Below, we find the apostles gathered around her empty tomb, witnessing the miracle with a mixture of awe and sorrow. Editor: A miracle is definitely the right word. It has such a gentle feel overall but still has dramatic flair with those robes! The figures in the foreground looking up sell it to me even more. Their disbelief sells me on this miraculous moment. What is it about those figures? Curator: The figures represent faith and earthly witness to the divine. Quellinus emphasizes the emotional impact of the event, highlighting both human sorrow and divine triumph. We see Baroque dynamism in their expressions. The Assumption theme also carries a wealth of symbolism. Mary's ascent represents the ultimate reward for devotion and the possibility of salvation. This story echoes long-standing ideas about earthly and divine spheres that echo in culture and time. Editor: I almost get lost in the swirl of lines at the top… but those grounding figures really help me read it. So, knowing what you know, what is one supposed to *feel* when looking at something like this, from back then till now? Curator: It's designed to inspire awe and devotion. To reflect on your faith and that possibility of heavenly reward for those who believe, connecting back to those core human questions about existence. It encapsulates a collective aspiration for spiritual ascension but what stays with me most is its timeless story about hope. Editor: Mmh, well, to me, it’s a visual reminder to find moments of transcendence amidst the everyday chaos— even if those moments are just fleeting ones sketched in pencil.