Kind dat zich met beide handen vasthoudt aan de horens van een zeewezen c. 1526 - 1606

Curator: What strikes me first is the intensity of the cross-hatching, creating such dense areas of shade. Editor: Indeed. We are looking at "Kind dat zich met beide handen vasthoudt aan de horens van een zeewezen" (Child Holding Onto the Horns of a Sea Creature) by Adam Fuchs, created sometime between 1526 and 1606. This engraving on paper is held at the Rijksmuseum. What visual narratives do you suppose it holds? Curator: The most immediately apparent symbol is of course the child. Visually it resembles a putto, that cherubic figure commonly found in classical and Renaissance art, representing innocence. However, in struggling with this fearsome sea creature, it may evoke something of the struggle to conquer temptation. Editor: Interesting, I was perceiving something quite different. What catches my eye is how the dense, controlled lines serve the almost overwhelming sense of motion. See how the Baroque and Mannerist aesthetics come together. Curator: The creature itself appears chimeric, defying zoological classification. The engraver creates a captivating interplay between what’s recognizably animal and purely imaginative. The visual interest arises from the contrast. Editor: It absolutely has that compelling visual pull that epitomizes those period’s Mannerist printmaking; there's almost a surreality there. Note also that for contemporary viewers, sea creatures had specific symbolism—chaos and unpredictability—so perhaps the child grasping its horns, does, indeed, imply an attempted dominion. Curator: Fascinating. I do see the artist has played with figure and ground, setting the lighter cherubic body in stark contrast to the shadowed seamonster. Editor: A stark choice that drives a strong compositional emphasis. Thanks for unpacking those details of texture. It offers a fascinating synthesis of cultural symbol and technique. Curator: My pleasure; understanding those aspects sheds light on its possible interpretations.