Vertumnus en Pomona 1670 - 1697

Curator: This is an engraving called "Vertumnus and Pomona" crafted sometime between 1670 and 1697. Its creator is Paul van Somer II, and here at the Rijksmuseum, it never fails to attract interest. What's your take on it? Editor: My first thought? Utter delight! It has an energy that makes you smile. Curator: Let's get a bit deeper. Notice the careful detail of the baroque style, filled with movement, energy and dynamism, a bit different to the classical style, and especially its complex composition, a semiotic field for careful engagement. How might you see it? Editor: Baroque… right. To me, it's all about the swirling energy. Look at all those cherubs buzzing around! They seem intent on creating a feeling of lighthearted chaos, as though trying to draw our attention. Curator: They’re certainly key to understanding this allegory of love, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses: Vertumnus, the god of seasons, is trying to woo Pomona, goddess of orchards, by disguising himself as an old woman, it is about persuasion and revelation. Editor: It makes me reflect about all those efforts one may devote in pursuing his goals in life and the disguises people adopt! The garden they are in itself feels dreamlike. And what's the role of that peacock? It's looking in our general direction like guarding those events. Curator: That bird certainly stands as an emblem of beauty. As an emblem of beauty, and maybe also a subtle pointer toward royalty. Its presence accentuates that sensation, maybe drawing a connection between divine love and earthly nobility. What lasting feelings emerge? Editor: After delving in? Just warmth and whimsy; the magic those clever engravers could create still makes the imagination soar centuries after it first took shape. Curator: Indeed! May we all, like Vertumnus, possess the skill to see beyond first glances and to understand hidden depths, both in art and, possibly, in life.