Festoen van bloemen, druiventros en korenaren 1699

Editor: Here we have Friedrich Jacob Morisson’s "Festoen van bloemen, druiventros en korenaren," created in 1699. It looks like a drawing or print, using pen and engraving techniques, with perhaps a bit of colored pencil. It has a very decorative quality to it. What are your initial thoughts on the artwork's composition? Curator: The artist's emphasis on symmetry and balance creates a pleasing visual harmony. Notice the two bows at the top mirroring each other. The arrangement of grapes and wheat is meticulously considered. How do the artist’s choices emphasize a particular order, creating points of tension and resolution? Editor: The bows really frame everything! I see the curves are echoed in the floral flourishes in the corners, too. There’s repetition, but it doesn't feel boring. Curator: Precisely. Consider also the deliberate contrast between the density of the central floral arrangement and the relative emptiness of the surrounding space. What effect does this juxtaposition produce, in your opinion? Is it merely decorative or does it perhaps indicate a commentary? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it as more than decorative, but the emptiness around it does make the center arrangement more prominent. Maybe it is drawing attention to abundance, and beauty, perhaps? Curator: Perhaps, and this abundance is certainly suggested through his skillful manipulation of line and form. By employing the conventions of Baroque art, what inherent qualities does the artwork convey, in your estimation? Editor: I guess it’s not *just* decorative. I’m seeing that the choices the artist made affect how you read the artwork! Curator: Indeed. By attending closely to Morisson’s manipulation of visual elements, we perceive not just what it represents but *how* it signifies. Editor: It’s been so helpful to understand how to read the techniques, and the relation of shapes within the whole work. It really opens up the picture.