Allegorie op het huwelijk tussen het kwaad en de duivel 1572 - 1628

Curator: Look at this elaborate scene, all engraved lines and smoky shadows! Editor: Right? This is "Allegory on the Marriage Between Evil and the Devil," a print from sometime between 1572 and 1628 by Gijsbert Van Veen. The overall feeling is unsettling, even chaotic, but what strikes you most when you look at this work? Curator: Well, chaos it is! This image practically screams, or perhaps more accurately, howls, about the collision of worldly ambition and infernal power. Notice how Van Veen uses the handshake – normally a symbol of agreement and peace – but twists it into something ominous here. It feels less like a pact and more like a capture, don't you think? And look at the 'musicians' above... not exactly a serenade! Editor: Definitely a cacophony rather than harmony! The two figures shaking hands… who do you think they are supposed to represent? I also notice a lot of smaller characters or symbolic objects; it all seems quite crowded. Curator: Aha, the figures are meant to represent Evil and the Devil, or rather, their union. Below, we have Time, Hypocrisy, Fraud, and Discord among the players! This print, typical of its time, operates on layers of allegory – moral commentary disguised within elaborate visual storytelling. I almost want to turn away, the scene is so tense. But at the same time, the exquisite details of the engraving just compel me to study it more deeply. Does it change your initial impressions, now knowing what the artist is hinting at? Editor: I can see that the intent to show moral failing informs every aspect of the composition! The allegorical symbols really give this piece a unique flair. I never knew that baroque prints could be so intriguing. Curator: And, perhaps, relevant even now!