Onderste gedeelte van een retabel 1560 - 1598

This is Wendel Dietterlin’s ‘Onderste gedeelte van een retabel’, an etching rendered in the late 16th century, depicting the lower portion of an altarpiece, featuring niches, arches, and ornate decorations. The arch, a powerful symbol here, has served across millennia as a motif of triumph and transition; from ancient Roman gateways celebrating military victories to the archways of Gothic cathedrals symbolizing a passage to the divine. Here, the arch evokes both sacred space and the crossing over. This crossing is a motif, and the archway is laden with subconscious weight that continues to engage viewers. The use of the arch represents a non-linear progression, recurring and evolving across different epochs, acquiring new layers of meaning. Dietterlin masterfully taps into this collective visual memory, creating a work that is as psychologically evocative as it is artistically intricate.