Madonna met kind 1618 - 1655

Editor: Here we have "Madonna met kind", or Madonna and Child, a Baroque engraving by Cornelis Schut, dating sometime between 1618 and 1655. There's an almost sketch-like quality to the fine lines that define the forms, which I find quite endearing. What strikes you when you look at this, what do you see in it? Curator: You know, it whispers a kind of intimate tenderness. Look how the Madonna cradles the child, not with some grand, untouchable air, but with a human warmth. Notice the halos, they’re suggested more than declared. As though divine presence is softly emanating through love, it isn’t being imposed from above. Schut invites us in, almost conspiratorially, to witness a moment of private devotion. Does that resonate with you at all? Editor: Definitely! It's like a snapshot rather than a formal portrait. The way the child is reaching for what looks like a rose, almost playfully, adds to that intimate feeling. Is that symbolism at play, maybe with the rose representing Mary? Curator: Precisely! The rose as a symbol of Mary, queen of heaven, and the child's innocent grasp at it – perhaps hinting at the passion to come, subtly juxtaposed against the maternal tenderness of the Madonna, as an embodiment of divine love made incarnate. Think of it as Schut playing with popular iconography, re-framing a biblical tale into a far more private, emotive, moment. What are you taking away from it? Editor: It's fascinating how much emotion and symbolism can be conveyed with just delicate lines. I'll never look at another Madonna and Child quite the same way! Curator: Agreed! Sometimes it's the quiet whispers in art, rather than the grand pronouncements, that speak to us most deeply.