Sibille van Delphi 1688

Editor: So, this is Romeyn de Hooghe's "Sibille van Delphi," an ink and engraving piece from 1688. It strikes me as a very dynamic sketch, almost theatrical. I am very intrigued by all this smoke, and its source! How do you interpret this work, considering it’s not just a portrait but a depiction of a Sibyl? Curator: The smoke! Ah, yes. The smoke of Delphi, of prophecy, of things unseen swirling into a potent vision! To me, this isn't merely a representation, it is an exploration of the very act of seeing beyond what’s present. De Hooghe doesn’t give us a polished, heroic figure but offers instead a glimpse into the Sibyl's intense, perhaps chaotic, process of divination. Do you find a sense of struggle in her expression? Editor: I do. It’s almost as if she is fighting with the vision. I didn't expect that sort of intensity! What about the technique - all those sketchy lines? Curator: The technique serves the subject perfectly! The scratchy, almost frenetic lines mirror the turmoil of prophetic vision, and suggest, perhaps, that ultimate truth can't ever be fixed or stable. It must be grasped fleetingly, rendered imperfectly, even sketched. Do you think it invites a modern sensibility that wasn’t so present in the Baroque period? Editor: It definitely feels less rigid than some other Baroque art I’ve seen. Almost like a study, open to interpretation... I am going to go look for more 'sketches' like this! Curator: Exactly! Look for the moments where artists let us peek behind the curtain. That’s where the real magic happens.