Zwevende figuur met twee roofvogels 1894 - 1935

Curator: This print, a woodcut titled "Zwevende figuur met twee roofvogels," or "Floating Figure with Two Birds of Prey," was created by Mathieu Lauweriks sometime between 1894 and 1935. The strong contrast in black and white gives it a very striking, almost haunting quality, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely. My immediate sense is that the print evokes an oppressive, unsettling mood. There’s a tension between the figure's apparent vulnerability and the surrounding symbolic weight. Curator: It's an intriguing piece, steeped in the symbolism characteristic of the Art Nouveau movement. The imagery clearly references Eros, visible in the snakes entwined as a headband, with scales of justice carefully suspended in her grasp. We should acknowledge the highly problematic representations of the female form that often manifest across Art Nouveau's symbolic work. Editor: Exactly! And that's what arrests me; the image presents Eros, typically understood as a potent, divine figure, bound at her feet, hovering above what looks like a monstrous face at the base. It almost seems to convey a critique of traditional power dynamics, a commentary on societal constraints imposed upon feminine agency or knowledge during the fin-de-siècle period, but it seems almost contradictory. Curator: I understand your reading. When you position the image through that interpretive lens, it speaks to some central debates around institutional control within Western narratives of sexuality. What do you think of the scale and materiality impacting on the imagery and content? Editor: The sharp lines of the woodcut intensify the unsettling atmosphere. I also find myself looking at the observer to the side. The smaller figure in the bottom left seems reverential or subservient to the primary floating female subject in some way. There's this idea of surveillance present as if being a woman necessitates some grand observation, maybe even an acknowledgement of impending control, even capture! Curator: I see it slightly differently. The print is visually commanding. But it could be argued it seeks to reify, to consolidate patriarchal views via visual methods. Considering it's printed, allows its widespread availability; it presents an aesthetic and philosophical point for scrutiny in this instance. I find myself curious about where this print was distributed, for what purpose and whom it reached in order to confirm our ideas. Editor: A really compelling reminder. This exploration of Mathieu Lauweriks' woodcut, "Floating Figure with Two Birds of Prey," serves as an incisive insight into how the personal is both fundamentally ideological, especially during formative moments for the avant-garde!