Drie verticale panelen before 1667

Editor: This is "Drie verticale panelen," or "Three Vertical Panels," by Jean Lepautre, made before 1667. It’s currently at the Rijksmuseum. It's an intricate engraving; the level of detail is just astounding. The whole composition seems to be about opulence and grandeur. What sort of symbolism strikes you when you look at it? Curator: The panels, rendered in ink and etching, reveal a very particular dance of power. See how Lepautre intertwines classical motifs with burgeoning baroque dynamism? Cupids frolic amidst architectural fragments. Notice how even the avian imagery differs – from peace doves to what appears like hunting falcons. Editor: That's interesting, I hadn’t thought about how the animals reflect different things. It's like a conversation between restraint and exuberance? Curator: Exactly! Lepautre’s symbolism suggests an era grappling with its own identity. The robust male figure at the bottom of the right panel carries the weight of architectural design upon his shoulders, referencing antiquity but within this emerging theatrical framework of Baroque art and architecture. What does that evoke for you? Editor: A sense of responsibility, perhaps, a pressure to uphold tradition while forging something new. It’s not just decorative. Curator: Indeed. The cultural memory embedded here points to a society reflecting upon the past to legitimize its present ambitions. Even the empty framed space becomes symbolic. It yearns to be filled with meaning, demanding its own historical narrative. It begs the question of cultural continuities – what do we carry forward and what do we leave behind? Editor: I never considered that the unadorned spaces themselves could be making a statement. It definitely adds another layer of complexity. Curator: Ultimately, these "Panels" aren’t just pretty ornaments, but a window into how identity is built through the conscious manipulation and remembrance of visual symbols. Editor: I’ll definitely look at baroque art with a different perspective now, considering what images endure through time, and the different memories attached to them.