Titelprent voor de serie: Bombario Actionist en de Geest van Esopus, 1720 1716 - 1720

Curator: So, here we have an engraving from the early 18th century, made sometime between 1716 and 1720, by an anonymous artist. It’s the "Title Page for the series: Bombario Actionist and the Spirit of Esopus". Editor: My immediate reaction is baroque flamboyance meets philosophical pondering. It’s intricate and theatrical but hints at something deeper going on beyond the swirling ornamentation. It almost feels like a stage set! Curator: Yes, and those baroque flourishes certainly do carry symbolic weight. Think of them as the outward display of power and knowledge during that period, visual echoes of classical learning and religious authority. See how the title is framed within these complex, decorative elements? It emphasizes the importance and the value placed on the text that follows. Editor: It’s a beautiful cage, really! You get the sense the text itself, hidden behind the heraldic display, is some hidden, forbidden knowledge! Curator: That could be it! Considering the "Spirit of Esopus" mentioned, and Esopus of course referencing Aesop and his Fables, that framing could mean we have wisdom that's heavily guarded and revealed through layered meanings and moral allegories. And the visual language borrows so much from history painting traditions... Editor: Those cherubic figures do add a whimsical, almost mischievous note though, like they are on the verge of revealing secrets, or perhaps distorting the actual stories! Their lightness undermines the rigid, stern style in a way. Like philosophy meeting impish fantasy. Curator: Perhaps a knowing nod to the power of storytelling? By blending humor and morality the artwork and associated texts likely explore more serious social issues within a digestible narrative? The format would have resonated within its cultural moment, offering critical reflection disguised in pleasurable engagement. Editor: It's that tension—serious versus playful, hidden versus explicit—that really grabs me. The piece operates on these opposing levels all at once. And I keep wondering: What explosive narratives or wisdom are really contained behind this wonderfully constructed baroque title page? Curator: A fitting question indeed! What we’re seeing here, it seems, is the presentation of knowledge wrapped in both authority and a sense of play, indicative of the cultural milieu it came from. Editor: Nicely said. I’m off to search the rest of this Bombario's series. Now I simply must find out what lies hidden!