Monnik met engelen Possibly 1670 - 1724

Curator: Oh, this engraving just has so much personality. "Monnik met engelen," or "Monk with Angels," by Jacob Gole, probably from somewhere between 1670 and 1724. It’s at the Rijksmuseum. What's your initial reaction? Editor: He’s so theatrical! Look at that gaze towards heaven, the pointed finger…and the angels peeking down! The composition feels like a comedic scene caught mid-act, an earthy portrayal of heavenly devotion that doesn’t quite ring true, but is undeniably charming. It puts me in mind of those travelling plays... Curator: The charm is definitely there. But, consider the broader tradition of religious portraiture in the Baroque period, of which this engraving feels like an expression. The monk’s features—the furrowed brow, the upwards glance—those resonate with conventional visual tropes indicating religious ecstasy or divine inspiration. He has simply performed religious ecstacy enough that it looks like satire to us. Editor: Interesting, interesting... So, it’s drawing on a recognizable visual language… but something about those cherubic faces floating above—they undermine any sense of genuine rapture. Like a heavenly laugh track adding an unexpected dose of reality to what should be a serious scene. And those facial folds are like exaggerated emotional brushstrokes! Curator: Yes! You're zoning in on the contrast that brings out the symbolic function! These early printmakers wanted to democratize access to imagery, but at the same time, imagery held moral weight. By placing these earthly figures alongside the traditional icon of the cherubic angels, Gole prompts us to examine our faith. And in that respect, these portraits serve the same function as religious icons: a vehicle for mediation between the heavenly and the mortal. Editor: It almost sounds like you're giving him the benefit of the doubt! It is lovely how art has to take these forms that might almost fool you before they tell the truth. Curator: I find Jacob Gole's portrayal subtly subversive and deeply resonant with its era's anxieties about faith, which are never settled! Editor: Agreed. Well, this trip into Jacob Gole's world has stirred something, for sure. Made me see old stories with fresh, playful cynicism.