Apostel Paulus voor Felix en Drusilla 1697

Curator: Before us is a 1697 engraving, “Apostel Paulus voor Felix en Drusilla,” currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. The piece depicts Paul the Apostle preaching to Felix and Drusilla. Editor: It has such a theatrical quality. Look at the dramatic gesture of Paul, juxtaposed with Felix’s almost bored demeanor. There's something about the crisp lines that creates this tension between action and stasis. Curator: Indeed. The use of intaglio creates very definite light and shadow that lends itself well to this almost stage-like quality. Note the figure of Paul himself – he is positioned as a kind of interpreter between earth and sky. It's a dynamic visual positioning within the frame. Editor: He serves as the vessel, no question. He almost certainly wears the symbolic clothing of the traveling scholar, a detail reinforcing his role as messenger of spiritual truth. The Roman official, Felix, has his hand close to what might be his official staff. It creates an immediate feeling of official doubt in light of a new prophet. Even the figure of what looks like an angel seems to hover with baited breath! Curator: And don't miss Drusilla's gaze. The engraving captures a range of responses through body language. It draws us into a narrative that might have a before, now, and after… Editor: You are spot on about the figures: the woman’s reaction indicates moral tension; torn between worldly security, in the form of her husband’s wealth, and new possibilities brought by the itinerant speaker. The artist packed so much into this modest scene, hinting at so much narrative weight that ripples throughout history. The artist managed to condense so much. Curator: It speaks to the potent storytelling ability of Baroque art, leveraging relatively limited materials to produce layers of complex visual cues that both indicate meaning and then open it up to interpretive possibilities. The figures are set against this constructed space using depth of line to define what's really a pretty ambiguous space. We’re given clues to draw our own conclusions Editor: Precisely. In effect, it asks viewers to consider for themselves the dilemmas faced by the characters. What I initially perceived as just a crisp story on closer inspection opens up like a complex knot. Curator: I find the composition still reveals new things even after close examination of this print; It makes the experience all the richer.