Tegenspoed geeft de mens de kroon van Glorie 1679

Editor: Here we have "Tegenspoed geeft de mens de kroon van Glorie," a 1679 engraving by Gaspar Bouttats, housed in the Rijksmuseum. It has this fascinating old engraving style to it, feeling a bit like looking into a strange, dreamlike mirror... What's your take? Curator: Dreamlike is the word, yes! It's swimming in allegory. We see laurel wreaths, a parade, almost a theatrical tableau... Imagine the artist thinking, "How can I visually represent adversity leading to glory?". The text even echoes this sentiment. What feeling does the arrangement of elements evoke in you? Does it feel balanced, or chaotic? Editor: It definitely leans toward the chaotic, maybe intentionally so? It’s a bit overwhelming to take it all in at once. Curator: Exactly! Baroque art often embraced that dramatic flourish. Think of it this way: life's not a neat, linear progression. But in the heart of it, we find...glory? Perhaps this piece is arguing that true glory comes *from* navigating life's disorder, as though misfortune bestows the crown upon us. Does understanding the chaotic style give new meaning to the piece? Editor: I see that now. So, it's like the chaos isn’t just decorative, but essential to the message itself? Suffering first, *then* glory! Curator: Precisely! A little misfortune, if overcome, places us directly in the path of a gilded crown! It does cause me to pause and reflect, perhaps I could better embrace this path. Editor: It almost makes you want to embrace the next bit of "tegenspoed" that comes along! That has completely shifted how I initially felt about this. Curator: Isn't it glorious how art can do that?