Oud paar 1670 - 1713

Pieter Schenk created this small engraving, “Old Couple,” around the turn of the 18th century. Immediately, you’re drawn to the composition's stark contrasts of light and shadow, a hallmark of the engraving medium. Schenk uses this to full effect, casting the old man’s gleeful expression in sharp relief against the soft, almost melancholic depiction of the woman. The work is structured around a table, a horizontal plane that divides the visual field and serves as a stage for the interaction between the two figures. This structure highlights a tension between the male and female figures. In line with semiotic understanding, the elements of pipe, glass and window signify a wider social reality. It destabilizes established meanings of beauty and desire, suggesting an alternative view of affection rooted in shared experience rather than idealised forms. The piece challenges fixed notions of beauty, inviting an ongoing interpretation of its themes.