Aanbidding van de Baäl van Peor 1818 - 1876

Curator: The Rijksmuseum holds a fascinating work by Carel Christiaan Antony Last called "Aanbidding van de Baäl van Peor," or "Adoration of Baal-Peor." It's a watercolor print dating from 1818 to 1876. Editor: It immediately strikes me as a scene filled with vibrant, almost unsettling energy. The composition is divided into distinct groups, some frenzied and ecstatic, others arranged more ceremonially around what looks like an altar. Curator: It's an allegorical history painting depicting an Old Testament scene from the Book of Numbers, where the Israelites were seduced into idolatry and the worship of Baal, specifically Baal-Peor. The imagery of a golden calf comes to mind, although it doesn't seem that exact. The piece delves into themes of religious transgression and moral corruption. Editor: Right. I see that the artist has deliberately chosen a fairly limited color palette dominated by earthy tones with splashes of blues and reds. This gives it a kind of primitive, raw feel. There's a clear emphasis on line and form. Notice how the figures are outlined, almost reminiscent of classical friezes but with a distinct Romantic twist in the dramatic poses and swirling compositions. Curator: Exactly. The idol—though ambiguously represented atop that altar—symbolizes the lure of paganism and its perceived dangers. What the artist is emphasizing isn't just the act of worship, but also the surrender of cultural and moral identity through seduction. Editor: There's definitely a dynamic push-and-pull. I keep returning to the balance between order and chaos represented through the groups arranged hierarchically from upper to lower sections. In the lower group, in particular, those limbs create intense visual entanglement, enhancing the dramatic tension. Curator: Indeed, Last uses historical events as a commentary on broader societal concerns—warnings against cultural dilution and the fragility of religious devotion that resonate beyond the original Biblical narrative. It shows anxiety about preserving values and the ever-present temptation towards the exotic "other." Editor: Well, whatever anxieties Last aimed to express, the artwork provides a robust feast for the eye and the intellect, successfully marrying formal principles with a strong undercurrent of expressive energy. Curator: And by using symbols familiar to his audience, he's inviting them to see these ancient tales not as relics, but as reflections of contemporary moral and cultural battles.