Gusman d'Alfarache bij bed met dames 1655 - 1697

Curator: Looking at this etching, “Gusman d’Alfarache bij bed met dames” created between 1655 and 1697 by Jan de Bray, one gets this immediate sense of… pandemonium, doesn’t one? Editor: Absolutely. There’s this sense of being caught in a scandalous moment, but also in terms of class. Notice the stark division in visual labor: we have a person brandishing the torch, while the reactions from those caught off guard are varied along gender lines. Who holds the power in the gaze? Curator: Well, Jan de Bray often created narrative scenes with quite a theatrical bent. He’s evoking the Baroque here, leaning heavily into dramatic expressions, though the crosshatching in the etching seems a bit rushed in places, don’t you think? Perhaps he wanted to keep a sense of spontaneity...or simply meet a deadline. Editor: Perhaps. But, considering the historical period, I'd be inclined to see a critical commentary on the performative aspect of power and its implications. Are the characters startled in terms of the light itself, or are they in conflict with this individual because he’s shining a light on behaviors and social inequalities in Dutch society during the Golden Age that they would rather not reveal to the rest of the world? Curator: Oh, I love that, casting light onto inequalities, quite literally. I tend to get swept away by the dynamism—the gesture with the torch, the slipper kicked off in surprise. One almost feels like an interloper peeking into a private moment. Editor: That’s precisely where its strength lies. We are the intruder. We, in our modern perspective, come into a historical image of what’s possible to expose in a certain space and time period in the Dutch Republic. Who are the characters based on and why are they important? De Bray brings these questions of identity to the surface—in line with art’s power for social change that carries weight, even now. Curator: You've given me such a new lens to view De Bray’s choices, it feels less a simple snapshot of revelry, and more of an intentional…disruption? Editor: Precisely. And hopefully we can continue to reflect on these disruptions of power and privilege in the works of the masters.