Schild met arm en schrijfveer 1572 - 1575

Curator: Welcome! Today, we're looking at an engraving from 1572-1575 entitled "Schild met arm en schrijfveer", attributed to an anonymous artist. It depicts a shield with an arm holding a quill. What strikes you about it? Editor: It has a very handmade, personal feel. It almost feels like something from a sketchbook. How do you interpret the symbolism of the arm and quill on a shield? Curator: That’s insightful. Considering the social and political context of the late Renaissance, particularly the Dutch Revolt, the symbol takes on a potent meaning. The quill, the instrument of writers, poets, philosophers and theologians, and Humanist ideals. What statement do you think the artist makes by incorporating into the shield? Editor: It's suggesting, perhaps, that intellect and written discourse are defenses in themselves, as important as physical armor. Maybe even a commentary on the pen being mightier than the sword? Curator: Precisely! It signifies a shift towards intellectual and symbolic forms of power and a possible rise of humanism. Think of how these images might circulate - in pamphlets, prints. Could this image serve as a reminder of how one might publicly stand up for the nascent dutch republic? Editor: It makes you consider the agency someone had during a period of history just armed with paper and a writing instrument. Curator: It absolutely highlights that evolving social function of the image in the service of identity! The proliferation of such imagery via prints democratized the message, allowing wider access to these socio-political ideals. Editor: I hadn't thought about how easily reproduced and widely disseminated prints could be. I definitely appreciate it more now! Curator: Me too. Every work has something new to teach us!