Epistelen ende Evangelien van den geheelen Jare c. 1590 - 1596

Curator: This compelling artwork, held here at the Rijksmuseum, is titled "Epistelen ende Evangelien van den geheelen Jare," created anonymously sometime between 1590 and 1596. It is an intriguing mixed-media assemblage, utilizing found objects to create a matter-painting, bordering on abstraction. Editor: Well, it certainly makes an impression. A dark, almost somber mood, wouldn't you say? The composition is...fragmented. Is "worn" the right word? More like ravaged! Curator: "Worn" hints at a lived history, perhaps mirroring the societal and religious upheaval of the time. The very title, referencing epistles and gospels, suggests a connection to religious texts and their dissemination. Was this work intended to comment on, perhaps critique, the Church? Editor: Interesting thought! But for me, it's the materiality that grabs me. You said "found objects?" What *are* we looking at exactly? The folds, tears… it screams process. Some deliberate manipulation is clear. Was this process itself a form of labor? Curator: It's hard to say definitively. Given the period and likely religious context suggested by its name, it could represent destruction, a fragment of something larger lost or intentionally discarded amid reformation conflicts. Editor: So, potentially provocative statement through discarded remnants? It really begs questions of artistic intention when something *this* ravaged becomes an object of display, and dare I say value, in a modern context. Curator: Indeed. Its value shifts dramatically based on the cultural lens through which we view it. From potential religious iconoclasm to modern art—a powerful transition in status. Editor: It certainly gives you pause to consider what makes it "art," who decided that, and what was lost to produce it. An evocative piece, to say the least. Curator: Yes, food for thought about the evolving role of art and its reflections of societal change across time.