Corydon and Sylvia 1601 - 1611

Curator: This is "Corydon and Sylvia," a drawing and print created sometime between 1601 and 1611, now at the Art Institute of Chicago. It’s attributed to Jacob Matham and exemplifies the Mannerist style with its landscape backdrop and focus on the group portrait. Editor: The detail is astonishing. And look at that dog! He’s absolutely judging someone. It's got that strange blend of pastoral serenity and subtle discomfort that you often find in prints of this era, like there's something unspoken happening just off-canvas. Curator: Absolutely. If we consider the means of production, prints like these were relatively accessible. Matham capitalizes on paper—a disseminable medium— to engage a broader audience. This work is especially interesting considering the tradition and function of pastoral themes in Mannerist landscape, especially their complicated social dynamics in elite, as well as popular culture. Editor: That access contributes, I think, to how modern it feels despite its age. There is something intimate in those lines—and the artist lets you imagine what Sylvia might actually be thinking rather than simply portraying her. She’s beautiful, sure, but thoughtful. And the work gives off the scent of those mountain flowers, or the coarse wool of Corydon’s cloak, which makes you feel part of this intimate world! Curator: I’d push that accessibility further by reminding us of the technical expertise demanded in producing these prints. Think about the stages: the drawing, the carving of the plate and subsequent press! These aren't effortless replications. It represents skilled labor within a commercialized artistic environment. That labor has immense impact in producing "aura" regardless of reproducibility. Editor: And perhaps that's what gives it that lasting power, that strange paradox. A moment frozen, not perfectly, but powerfully, across all those copies. Now when you see the drawing in person you bring something more unique to its creation to truly bring out something spectacular. Curator: It is a lovely encounter—considering all those different processes are implicated. Editor: Indeed! I never tire of finding these unexpected narratives within such meticulous craft.