XIII Bij glasen om 1614

Curator: Welcome to the Rijksmuseum. Today, we'll be discussing a fascinating engraving by Roemer Visscher, "XIII Bij glasen om," created in 1614. It's a part of a larger series known as "Van de Sinnepoppen." Editor: Whoa, it’s like a candle’s soul taking flight! Very dramatic lighting for something so small and detailed. There’s this delicate little flame just bursting forth...like it’s saying, “I made it!”. Curator: Indeed! "Van de Sinnepoppen", is rooted in emblem literature and moralizing depictions, providing symbolic visual commentary on society. This specific print links to time measurement practices for sailors who did not have clocks at sea. It highlights the use of glass, or timed portions in candle burning. Editor: Timekeeping with candlelight, imagine! Talk about ephemeral. And what about that tiny spike stuck in the side? Curator: That detail has intrigued many! That element, it's placed so that, once the candle melts down, it triggers the fall of a pin. Editor: Sort of like a fiery alarm clock, but metaphorically telling us our time’s almost up! Heavy. So it has this inherent built-in end, how do you perceive that? Curator: Well, time as measured by sailors takes on new urgency—every moment is carefully monitored, emphasizing temporality, perhaps the limited lifespan and precarity of being at sea. There is a gendered lens as well, particularly since many of those travelling at sea for such extensive periods were men; families ashore awaiting their return also perceived this precarity acutely. Editor: Yes, its creation would have happened well before digital beeps and buzzing notifications… Just the steady burn, the dripping wax, and the anticipation of that final ‘clink.’ Gives a completely different texture to how time is experienced and accounted. Something powerful here… a very tangible illustration, both beautiful and somber at the same time. Curator: Absolutely. Its fusion of the visual and the metaphorical prompts reflections on the ephemeral aspects of life, the ways we measure its passage. Editor: Well, this engraving definitely ignited some thoughts today, and really makes one want to appreciate a moment passing!