Maria Magdalena knielt bij Christus aan het kruis 1696 - 1721

Editor: So, this engraving is titled "Maria Magdalena kneeling by Christ on the Cross" by Jan Baptist Berterham, sometime between 1696 and 1721. It’s currently at the Rijksmuseum. There's a somber mood to it, but also… peaceful? What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, this piece! It hums with a quiet intensity, doesn't it? The way Berterham uses the engraving technique… those tiny, precise lines, they almost vibrate with emotion. I find myself drawn to the contrast he creates: the intensely detailed figure of Christ against the softer, almost dreamlike landscape. Tell me, what do you make of the skull at the base of the cross? Editor: Well, isn’t the skull often a memento mori – a reminder of death? But it feels… a little extra here? Maybe it’s the placement? Curator: Exactly! It’s not just a symbol of death; it's placed near Mary Magdalene. It's a stark reminder of mortality set against the promise of resurrection. It also points to Golgotha, “the place of the skull” where the crucifixion took place. It also strikes me that, as a print, it would have circulated widely. Imagine it not just in a museum, but in someone’s home, a personal object of contemplation. Does knowing this shift how you read the image? Editor: It does. It becomes less about grand spectacle and more about individual faith. Like, what would *I* be thinking, kneeling there? Curator: Precisely! The Baroque masters were masters of drawing you in. The personal and the devotional were powerfully linked. It's amazing how a relatively small engraving can speak so profoundly, centuries later. Editor: Absolutely. It’s made me rethink my initial reaction completely. Thanks!