Christus geneest een verlamde 1628 - 1670

Curator: Here we have an engraving entitled "Christus geneest een verlamde" created sometime between 1628 and 1670. The print is attributed to Pieter de Jode II. Editor: My initial response is a feeling of subdued drama. The stark contrast between light and shadow, achieved through the engraving technique, creates a mood that's both intense and reverent. It is not a bright piece but instead somber with the weight of faith perhaps? Curator: The composition is masterful. Look at how the artist uses line and form to direct the viewer's eye, starting from the open landscape on the left, moving toward the figures and culminating with the figure of Christ. Editor: And notice who he attends. Not the supposed faithful on his left, but the impoverished on his right, many in ragged cloth clearly in pain and with physical disabilities. You see the social structures reflected in that direction of the savior's healing power, who precisely gets left behind and forgotten by "polite society." The landscape he gestures away from is, if I might be blunt, literally, an open field of nothing. Is this about choosing God over property? Curator: I find that compelling, certainly. I can also see that you view the thematic elements through the prism of marginalized communities, and such observations underscore its enduring significance in Baroque art. Editor: Absolutely! De Jode and printmakers from this period didn't just passively render religious parables, they amplified or quietly undermined socio-political concepts embedded in those stories. This print embodies an activist theology, making the figure of Christ accessible and powerfully defiant, especially to people cast aside by wider hierarchies. This artwork speaks volumes about solidarity. Curator: This particular print and its textures showcase the artist's profound understanding of tonal variation that helps us appreciate his command over linear expression. It seems that we both appreciate and connect to very different areas in this powerful example of baroque engraving. Editor: Exactly! What better can an artwork achieve than generate many paths for engagement.