Brandende schouw met rooster after 1724

Curator: At first glance, this print strikes me as severe, almost diagrammatic in its stark presentation of architectural details. What do you make of it? Editor: Well, "stark" is one word! I find its intricate baroque design positively dizzying—like something out of a dream where the fireplace has gone wild and overgrown. The artist was really having a moment with all those flourishes! Curator: Indeed. Let’s contextualize. What we have here is "Brandende schouw met rooster" - "Burning Chimney with Grate," in English. The Rijksmuseum holds this engraving that was created after 1724, attributed to Georg Lichtensteger. Lichtensteger's medium is printmaking, specifically engraving and in its architectural depiction. He encapsulates a flamboyant chapter in the baroque movement. Editor: The architectural context definitely provides a lens. So the excess is… intentional? It's such a contrast, like it's teetering on the edge between elegant design and complete chaos, all contained within a symmetrical frame. Does that make any sense? Curator: Perfectly! Formalistically, the high contrast in values—the deep blacks offset against the stark whites—gives this image incredible depth. It serves to accentuate the play of light and shadow across all of those baroque ornaments you mentioned. Editor: All that ornamentation—I see swirling foliage, cherubic faces tucked away in the details. There's this performative excess—like the architect wanted to show off the full extent of their skill and imagination. Imagine how overpowering this would have felt inside someone’s home. A testament to power, perhaps? Curator: It also captures the shifting role of fireplaces during this era. This ornate hearth transcends functional heating; it's pure spectacle. The fireplace becomes this symbolic declaration of status, literally burning money to stay warm. Editor: So, on one level, it's about enjoying a sense of artistry within one's own private domestic space. But on another, there's this nagging sense that the design teeters into self-indulgence. Curator: Perhaps that's part of the fun—observing the theatrics of baroque design reflecting an elite lifestyle. Editor: Agreed! Looking closer makes me feel almost complicit in some grand design that wants me to share this little fiery, ornamental dream.