Het huwelijk van Aeneas en Lavinia 1612

Curator: Looking at this engraving, “The Marriage of Aeneas and Lavinia” by Simon van de Passe, made in 1612, I’m immediately drawn to its tonal range – how the hatching and cross-hatching articulate form and light across this complex composition. Editor: The material detail of the wedding ceremony juxtaposed with what looks like some type of festival scene just screams labor to me. I can't help but wonder, what were the economics of printing during this time? Curator: Indeed. Note the baroque characteristics apparent in the dynamism of the figures, the sense of movement and emotion conveyed through line. The very structure of the piece, using classical motifs, draws heavily on antiquity. It also establishes a compelling narrative about leadership and alliances. Editor: Exactly, and I want to think through that line. You can just tell this was painstakingly rendered. To have this available for mass consumption says so much about class and accessibility of media, and really just emphasizes the political agenda van de Passe must have been responding to. How were engravers positioned in the hierarchy of labour at this point? Curator: An intriguing point. Considering it as a semiotic structure, marriage in art is laden with meaning - power, lineage, legitimacy. See how Aeneas's hand gestures – direct yet respectful – denote leadership and Lavinia's delicate composure signals obedience. This symbolic interaction carries clear hierarchical intentions within a societal framework. Editor: It also gives a clue to their own social standing! Thinking of this at the Rijksmuseum, it makes me want to see it alongside the engraver’s tools to understand the craft as well as to be able to explore van de Passe's political engagement, really allowing folks to get behind this man's labour. Curator: Agreed, and in seeing this piece anew, it allows one to appreciate how well the artist marries aesthetic refinement and symbolic power, even centuries later. Editor: Exactly! I just think seeing the hand and material labor should bring people to it in such an insightful way.