Afgunst Possibly 1670 - 1724

Editor: Here we have "Afgunst," possibly dating anywhere from 1670 to 1724, by Jacob Gole, at the Rijksmuseum. It’s an engraving of a rather… grotesque character. I find it darkly humorous, but also kind of disturbing with the snakes on their head. What jumps out at you? Curator: Oh, this fella's a hoot, isn't he? Immediately I'm transported back to the theater, the stage practically dripping with artifice. Gole’s work here winks at those elaborate morality plays, right? With this wonderfully hideous depiction of envy. Notice the pendant he’s wearing – a trompeur! He deceives himself. It is an invitation to reflect on those darker corners of our own personalities. Editor: I see! The "trompeur" pendant, is that playing into the idea of self-deception or hypocrisy? Curator: Precisely! It’s almost as if Envy, in his bitterness, is blinding himself to his own faults. And that wonderfully crooked smile! It feels less like simple villainy and more like tragicomedy. Editor: It makes me think about how envy can twist a person. Almost like those snakes are literally poisoning him. Curator: Ah, a potent image! A creeping, constricting force…a constant reminder of what one lacks. Is he not almost pitiable in his ugliness? Gole, sly fox that he was, seems to be saying we are all a little envious and that to confront and acknowledge our personal envious states and feelings allows us to transform our inner most darkness to states of personal awareness and well-being.. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn’t considered before. It definitely gives the piece more depth, moving beyond just a caricature of an unpleasant emotion. Curator: Indeed! Gole reminds us that art—even at its most grotesque—can hold a mirror up to ourselves. And isn't that deliciously unsettling?