Embleem met allegorie op eeuwigheid 1681 - 1737

Editor: Here we have François van Bleyswijck's "Embleem met allegorie op eeuwigheid," a print dating between 1681 and 1737, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. The figure holding a wheel is striking. What do you see when you examine this work through a formalist lens? Curator: Note the strategic deployment of line in delineating forms—consider how its quality and direction contributes to both structure and movement, directing the eye around the composition. What can you tell from how space is created? Editor: The linear style flattens the image somewhat, though there’s an attempt at depth through overlapping forms and a vague atmospheric perspective in the background. What of the human figure, the staff in hand, the wheel at his side? Curator: Yes, examine the formal qualities; line, shape and the balanced interplay between light and dark. Consider how each compositional element impacts your viewing. Forget iconographic meaning: let's focus on *how* this work communicates solely through form. Can you appreciate it by observing the rhythm established by the lines or perhaps the figure in relation to the space it inhabits? Editor: Well, seeing it that way, I am appreciating the balance. The positioning of the figure directs you to view either the figure or wheel and background riders. Curator: Precisely. Devoid of external contextual knowledge, can we glean understanding from the visual relationship that Bleyswijck proposes? Let’s allow our experience to depend entirely on the intrinsic compositional aspects, a self-contained aesthetic construct. Editor: So it’s the composition alone, rather than its meaning, that matters to your viewpoint. Fascinating. Curator: Indeed. By deconstructing formal interactions, we may better see artistic choices and underlying principles governing Bleyswijck's composition, leading to profound revelations.