Vaandeldrager met een gevleugelde slang 1520

Curator: Here we have Sebald Beham’s “Standard Bearer with a Winged Snake,” an engraving from 1520, here on display at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Immediately striking is the figure’s rather unsettling, monstrous quality. His bulkiness, emphasized by the puffed sleeves, feels almost aggressive, overwhelming the pictorial space. Curator: Indeed. Beham, as a Little Master, was known for intricate, small-scale engravings. Observe how his mastery of line creates depth and texture within this confined format, lending the figure weight and volume. The use of cross-hatching, stippling… it all serves to build form meticulously. Editor: That serpentine creature coiled around his leg is quite the unsettling detail. In many cultures, snakes are symbols of duality: creation and destruction, healing and poison. The winged aspect adds a further layer of complexity, evoking perhaps a fallen angel or a corrupted messenger. Is he subduing base instincts, or being consumed by them? Curator: Semiotically, that serpentine element grounds the flag bearer within a symbolic framework, hinting at the struggle between virtue and vice. Consider the banner itself. Despite being damaged or unfinished, it's central. It guides our reading, tying into medieval concepts of moral exemplars. The subject dominates all space. The standard nearly reaches outside the borders that define its representation as an aesthetic and political being in itself. Editor: And his footing… a destroyed tower. The symbolism becomes ever heavier. Perhaps he is trampling not just architectural structures, but systems of thought, or societal values that seem very close to us. Curator: The broken tower further enriches our reading, providing insight to cultural shifts around that time in Germany. Editor: There is an ambiguity to his gaze. Is he leading or simply marching forward with blind conviction? This uncertainty contributes to the print's enduring intrigue, despite its limited size. Curator: Exactly. Even today, that tension is the point and shows the great artwork's ability of provoking discourse around identity, action and cultural continuity. Editor: This little engraving speaks volumes. A chilling, symbolic dance indeed.