Christuskind in een vlammend hart 1629

Editor: Here we have "Christuskind in een vlammend hart," or "Christ Child in a Flaming Heart," a 1629 engraving by Christoffel van Sichem II, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. I’m struck by the intensity of the radiating lines and how they draw your eye directly to the child. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Well, aren't we drawn to flames like moths to a porch light? Sichem masterfully uses those radiating lines – a baroque pyrotechnic display – to force our gaze upward, towards this vision of the Christ Child. But I'm equally fascinated by the two figures at the base, seemingly caught in their own personal reflections of the divine. Notice how their eyes mirror the pull of the radiant child above, but their bodies are anchored to the earth. It's a tug-of-war between the celestial and the earthly, wouldn't you say? Do you find the flames intimidating, Editor, or are they inviting? Editor: I can see both. There's something a bit severe in the image as a whole. So much emphasis on…radiance? Is it a reflection of the time period? Curator: Precisely! Remember, this is the Baroque era. It was a period brimming with religious fervor and a deep need to visually represent the spiritual, so intensity and emotion were kind of "de rigeur". It makes you wonder though... If we were to create such an image today, what visual language would we use to capture that same sense of awe and spiritual fire? Holograms? TikTok filters? (laughs). Editor: Oh, I hope not! I am starting to see the relationship between all three figures within the print’s drama. Thank you for highlighting that point! Curator: Art is about the spark, Editor. Discovering how the artist sets the world on fire for themselves, and, hopefully, for us too.