Vertelling van de herder Melibaeus, pagina 4 1641

Curator: Welcome. We’re standing before "Vertelling van de herder Melibaeus, pagina 4," an engraving on paper by Crispijn van de (II) Passe, created around 1641. It’s part of the Rijksmuseum collection. Editor: Well, my first impression? Stark! It feels so severe, all black lines on a pale field, like a decree etched in stone—or rather, paper. The font feels like its scolding me gently. Curator: In this Baroque piece, Crispijn, known for his prints, combines text with figuration. The print depicts two columns of dense old-Dutch script, but under these are what appears to be stylized garland around the stone frame, and face wearing some head covering, possibly Meliboeus himself, but with such intricate detail surrounding a human subject is not a completely unique thing for that era. Editor: Ah, yes. The stern typography locks in this rigid kind of tone. Then those decorative elements below feel a bit tortured—like someone forced to dress up for a boring function. Almost as though the image is meant to give more body to the literal words of the text, as though a stone with words is missing flesh, then adding too much. Curator: Given the era and the subject—a shepherd’s tale—there’s likely an element of moral teaching here. Passe uses the precision of engraving to communicate what were deeply meaningful ideas. The figure might even represent vice or folly; a moral guide from stories or allegories from the bible. Editor: But beyond the obvious, there's also something quietly defiant in the meticulous carving. This little corner on some unknown, old book holds a kind of fragile grandeur. Maybe in an allegorical sense, maybe just meant to look fancy by surrounding its words in detail and grandeur. Curator: It’s easy to overlook such a small engraving in a vast collection, but its detail reveals an artist working meticulously. Perhaps in that meticulous effort he may be speaking volumes, as loud as the words they surround? Editor: So, a tiny but surprisingly powerful voice. I like that. It just reminds you not everything worth a second look must be shiny.