Uitgaande kerkgangers 1780

Curator: Here we have Joseph de Longueil's engraving, "Uitgaande Kerkgangers", created around 1780. The translation of the title means "churchgoers departing", but, in truth, so much is revealed about a community on display within its visual narrative. What's your initial impression? Editor: Well, the figures do seem poised—rigid even. Everyone appears to be actively observing unspoken hierarchical boundaries. And then that building... that looks like real labor went into erecting such a monumental structure, its very presence must weigh heavily. Curator: Yes, I agree. There's a calculated drama unfolding—like the choreography of status playing out on the church steps. It makes me think of those silent movie scenes where everyone has a pointed agenda. Editor: And that's achieved entirely with line, isn’t it? We're seeing engravings, meaning metal plates, acids biting, human pressure, tools pulling through. What a transformation—turning such forceful actions into delicate, genteel forms. And I'm compelled by the contrast of that solid stone façade in contrast with all of the lace finery. Curator: The detail is rather amazing considering the tools they were using. One imagines the original artist intensely scrutinizing every face, capturing even the slight turn of a head. It certainly speaks to the engraver's craft too! But in some ways, do you see any tension with that very artifice? Editor: Precisely! Think about how radical and egalitarian, or at least, “down to earth” printmaking could be, compared to singular artworks owned by the wealthy and the very elite. Even while showcasing presumed status, this artwork brings that idea to a mass public—all be it a literate one, to be able to discern what’s what in the narrative presented here. Curator: That’s where the brilliance comes into focus. By documenting this social theater, de Longueil also creates a record, perhaps even inadvertently critiques the inherent inequalities of that time through close scrutiny of even fleeting gestures between members of the community—it's absolutely rife with material! Editor: Well said. Now I see those delicate lines representing even the weightiest elements of cultural production and society itself. Curator: I agree; it's more than meets the eye and much to consider on departing ourselves!