Gevoel / Tastzin c. 1550 - 1650

Editor: This is an engraving called "Gevoel / Tastzin", or "Feeling/Touch" by an anonymous artist, dating from around 1550 to 1650. The detail is astonishing! The way the light catches on that quilted sleeve… It's interesting that the word “Tactus” is inscribed. What draws your eye in this piece? Curator: Oh, "Tactus"! Yes, isn’t it fabulous? It reminds me of those dreamy afternoons spent poring over old books. For me, it's all about that hawk perched so delicately on her hand. It makes me think about control, or the illusion of it, that fine line between mastery and mutual respect. The subject and the hawk… their bond feels palpable. The textures! The stiff lace, the soft feathers. But beyond the visual, it stirs a more primal chord, doesn’t it? That vulnerability… that delicate balance of power? I'm curious; what feelings does that pairing evoke for you? Editor: Well, seeing it now, I'm reminded of those old tapestries where animals were symbols of royalty or virtues. Maybe that hawk represents nobility? Curator: Possibly. The anonymous nature invites all sorts of conjecture. Does the hawk’s stoic appearance tell of the artist's life? Did you ever stop to think if this artist had an affinity with any birds in particular? If I were a bird I'd love to glide along canals all day… Maybe they thought that feeling itself could be royal, something precious to be guarded and cherished. Or something so wild, it needs to be restrained! Editor: It’s fascinating to think how much we project our own ideas of ‘feeling’ onto it. It almost transforms each time we look at it. Curator: Exactly! It's like holding a mirror up to ourselves. Editor: It makes me wonder what other secrets are hidden beneath that amazing quilted sleeve. Thanks for enlightening me!