Simeon en Levi doden de Sichemieten 1728

Curator: We're looking at "Simeon en Levi doden de Sichemieten," an engraving from 1728 by Gilliam van der Gouwen, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It's a scene brimming with Baroque energy. What jumps out at you? Editor: Utter chaos, frankly. A scene of intense violence unfolds within what appears to be a bedchamber or royal space, juxtaposed with that grand architecture in the background. Bodies are strewn everywhere; it’s all angles and swirling drapery and… revenge? Curator: Precisely! It depicts the biblical story of Simeon and Levi avenging the rape of their sister Dinah. Van der Gouwen captures the moment they massacre the men of Shechem as retribution. You can practically hear the clashing of swords and the cries of the victims. Editor: Yes, it’s visually very heavy, but the historical implications are weighty too. This print not only illustrates a biblical tale but also reflects historical anxieties around honour, gender, and revenge within the communities and the society that would commission and appreciate it. It's easy to be consumed by the graphic qualities of the picture, but also, at what point does revenge become collective punishment, and who gets to mete it out? Curator: I completely agree. The perspective here feels almost cinematic, creating both a sense of immediacy and a detachment—like watching a play unfold. Consider the fine lines of the engraving. Every detail, from the facial expressions to the folds of the garments, contributes to the drama. Editor: That detached feeling could also be the visual language, as the baroque's drama is also a form of theater. It does draw us in. In looking at these representations, these scenes of graphic vengeance, are we meant to be repulsed, titillated, warned or somehow soothed by them? And for whom, and at what cost? Curator: A deeply unsettling question, perhaps deliberately so. And something an artwork can evoke without necessarily answering. This has been much darker territory than I'd anticipated... I appreciate your thoughtful framing. Editor: And I appreciate the moment to reflect on it. These old stories— and these prints—they are far from innocent relics of the past.