Twee kwarten van plafonds 1668 - 1716

Curator: What are your initial thoughts on "Twee kwarten van plafonds?" Its listed provenance dates back to sometime between 1668 and 1716, created by Susanne Maria von Sandrart and held here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s an engraving depicting ceiling designs. Editor: I’m struck by the ambition in this, a plan for spaces beyond its own modest scale! Look at those muscular figures, so constrained yet seemingly straining against the very edges of the print! Curator: It's compelling, isn’t it? The artist provides two examples of quadri riportati for ceilings. Consider the classical realism imbued within those robust, dynamic figures frozen mid-gesture! You get a tangible sense of energy, no? Editor: Energy definitely, but controlled. The detailed line work speaks to the baroque, a dramatic dynamism offset, but framed by geometric patterns. Are we meant to read these quarters separately? Or in tandem? It feels deliberately fragmented. Curator: Indeed. Each "quarter" boasts its unique composition and story; classical figures, divine beings and complex mythological allegories. When placed side-by-side we note Von Sandrart skillfully employs recurring shapes to tie the two images together to highlight underlying formal connections across the two design examples. What's your impression of the symbolic value of the ceiling itself in these quarters? Editor: Well, historically the ceiling offered boundless potential. It represents elevation, the meeting point between earthly space and the heavens; perhaps why Von Sandrart places these muscular demigods, emblems of an idealized masculinity and earthly power on what is also a boundless canvas. Curator: I can see it! The architectural and formal control imposed here actually draws attention to the aspirational element of each of these mythological images. Von Sandrart provides examples of imposing stories, for patrons who desire, literally, to be surrounded by allegorical heroism. Editor: A lovely way to put it. These are little more than blueprints, yes, but each design is replete with aspirations. Curator: Precisely. Next time you're looking upwards in a grand hall, I recommend thinking about Von Sandrart’s ceilings. It may provide a new vantage on familiar imagery.