Cartouche met twee adelaars, een helm met pluim en twee lege schilden. 1646

Editor: Here we have "Cartouche with Two Eagles, a Helmet with Plume and Two Empty Shields," an engraving from 1646 by Stefano della Bella, currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It feels almost theatrical, like a stage prop waiting for its story. Those eagles give a sense of power, even with the vacant shields. What strikes you when you look at it? Curator: The emptiness sings to me! The shields, deliberately blank, invite endless projection. It's Baroque, bold, assertive in its ornamentation. Notice how the delicate lines create a dance of light and shadow. Della Bella, you know, had this knack for transforming traditional heraldry into a personal narrative. Editor: A personal narrative? How so, when the shields are empty? Curator: Ah, but the very act of leaving them empty is the narrative. It's an invitation for the viewer, for posterity, to inscribe their own meaning, their own history. Don't you find it playfully arrogant? "Here is the frame; fill it with your own glorious tale!" What tale would you put on those shields? Editor: Wow, I never thought of it that way. I’d probably be too intimidated to try and fill it! Maybe just some colourful abstract shapes! I was so caught up in the visual spectacle. Curator: Exactly! It makes you think, doesn’t it? Which, in my book, is always the sign of a great piece. This isn’t just decoration; it’s a provocation, cleverly disguised as a pretty picture. Editor: Definitely a lot more to this engraving than I first assumed. Thanks for pointing all that out! Curator: My pleasure! I think I shall be contemplating empty shields for the rest of the day... and what tales *I* might dare to fill them with.