Engel met lans, spons en dobbelstenen 1580 - 1600

Curator: Before us, we have "Engel met lans, spons en dobbelstenen", or "Angel with lance, sponge, and dice", an engraving dating from 1580 to 1600. The artist is Johann Sadeler I, and it’s currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The somber and tense mood strikes me first. The sharp, dark lines contrast drastically to build shadows. There is such detail in the texture, but I find it quite unsettling to look at. Curator: The intensity likely stems from the subject matter. This work depicts an angel holding the lance and sponge used to torment Christ during the Crucifixion, while dice lay on a table before him - referencing the soldiers gambling for Christ's robes. Editor: The rendering of fabric here, that draped background and covering the table - fascinating in the contrast of vertical and horizontal strokes building such visual and palpable texture. Curator: Considering its time, this print provides a glimpse into the religious and political turmoil of late 16th-century Europe. Sadeler, as a printmaker, catered to a growing market for affordable art. Prints like this circulated widely, disseminating religious imagery and moral lessons. Editor: So you're pointing towards the functionality then of the piece itself. But, from a more philosophical vantage, the formal elements—the strategic play of light and shadow, that delicate balance achieved through such deliberate engraving— elevate this to something deeply contemplative. Curator: The linear method lends itself well to the dramatic mood but also to the creation of multiples - democratizing artwork for more people. Editor: In this context, looking at the historical and material aspects of how Sadeler made this allows us to more closely consider not just what it meant then, but also what that imagery suggests and embodies for us, as current-day viewers. Curator: I appreciate your bringing into play the historical weight the composition has while acknowledging our modern sensibility looking into the past. Thank you. Editor: Absolutely, it’s been interesting and thanks for the background details on materiality and the social situation for it’s original making and function.