Fries met spelende putti 1651 - 1679

Curator: Oh, I adore the dreamlike quality of this engraving. Editor: It's strange, isn't it? An oddly appealing parade of the irrational. Curator: Indeed. This is "Fries met spelende putti," dating back to somewhere between 1651 and 1679, crafted by Lucas Vorsterman the Younger. We're fortunate to have it here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Lucas Vorsterman... I'm thinking about the mechanics, really. Look at the intricate detail in this etching – all those tiny lines! How many hours of labor to produce a matrix, then prints? The baroque loved ornament. The sheer manual effort suggests value in those swirls and figures, maybe in inverse proportion to the images’ actual symbolism. Curator: Symbolism, ah yes! It's awash in allegory! Just observe the plump putti, so characteristic of the Baroque, frolicking amidst their festive chariot. Don't they radiate joy? Editor: Joy, and labor! Who mined the ore to make his tools? Who smelted them, and who delivered them to Vorsterman’s studio? It’s easy to see chubby babies hauling carts, but they are floating, weightless – and obscuring the complex social relationships propping them up. Curator: That is an astute observation. Consider also the linear quality he achieves here – how different visual information comes forward! Look, for example, at how the chariot pops—Vorsterman masterfully employed shadow. There is definitely movement and emotion conjured within its monochrome, almost as though the gods themselves were chasing inspiration. Editor: Monochrome for most of us, of course. The wealthy, meanwhile, often colored these engravings later, hiring artisans for yet more work. The art multiplies like compound interest! Curator: Well, that gives us plenty to contemplate... The life cycle of an artwork – and our roles in that cycle. Editor: From ore to allegory… that’s quite a trip to ponder over a few sketches, right?