Tovenaar zwaaiend met een staf 1803

Editor: This is "Tovenaar zwaaiend met een staf" – or "Wizard Waving a Staff" – a pen and engraving artwork by Daniël (I) Veelwaard, created in 1803 and housed at the Rijksmuseum. It feels a bit theatrical, almost like a stage play. What catches your eye about it? Curator: Indeed, there is a deliberate sense of staging, wouldn't you agree? It evokes the political climate of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a time ripe with revolutionary fervor and social upheaval and theatricality to demonstrate a public and strong view? I find it interesting how Veelwaard utilizes Neoclassical elements, perhaps a reflection on the past to comment on the present socio-political atmosphere. Does it appear to satirize authority figures? Editor: Yes, absolutely! The wizard's exaggerated gesture combined with the collapsing structure suggests a commentary on crumbling power, doesn't it? How would someone during that era receive this art piece in comparison to our current perception of the subject? Curator: Given that this was conceived during the rise and height of Napoleon in Europe and an increased secularism that minimized superstitious or magical interpretations of life, viewers may see commentary about the need for and obsolescence of systems of government, and whether reliance on past ideals from classical philosophers will actually impact a modern world with its unique modern challenges. Would the Dutch have also sensed similar issues? Editor: That’s fascinating. It also makes me reconsider how artwork of magical personnel impacts the public's ideas around systems of control today, considering the popularity of fantasy entertainment now, in ways similar to this engraving. Thanks! Curator: I'm happy I could help to reshape your view; reflecting on art from its social and cultural context is vital to fully grasp it.