Gelijkenis van de koninklijke bruiloft 1782

Editor: So, here we have "Gelijkenis van de koninklijke bruiloft," or "Parable of the Wedding Feast," an etching done in 1782 by Adam von Bartsch. It’s currently at the Rijksmuseum. It gives me this feeling of… chaotic storytelling? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Chaotic is a wonderful word for it, and you're spot-on. It feels almost like a theatrical scene captured mid-performance, wouldn't you agree? Bartsch really captures this feeling of biblical chaos through a Baroque lens; look how he uses that intense linework to guide the eye, from the seated guests to the, shall we say, less fortunate sprawled out in the foreground. Almost feels like a tavern scene turned theological. What jumps out at you most in that controlled frenzy? Editor: That foreground, actually. It's so… stark compared to the more formal setting behind. Like two totally different worlds colliding in one image. Curator: Exactly! That juxtaposition is crucial. It reflects the parable itself, where invited guests are unworthy and replacements are found elsewhere - Bartsch literally stages unworthiness front and center. The light and shadow contribute, too, right? The well-lit feast versus the dark, almost shame-filled figures below. It's almost as if Bartsch is asking *us* who *we* identify with in this story. Editor: It’s unsettling, yet it makes you think about the implications of the theme of worthiness, or lack thereof. Curator: Precisely! That's Baroque drama at its finest, using spectacle to provoke introspection. Not just a pretty picture, but a conversation starter across centuries. Makes you wonder about who's in and who's out in our own “royal wedding”, doesn't it? Editor: It does! The more you look, the more relevant it becomes.