Gezicht op Bacharach en Burcht Stahleck c. 1694 - 1697

Editor: Here we have Pieter Schenk’s engraving, “View of Bacharach and Stahleck Castle,” made around 1694-1697. It depicts a city nestled on a riverbank beneath a fortified castle, creating this striking sense of verticality with the lines and gradations of the engraving. I'm really drawn to the way the artist uses line to suggest depth and form. What stands out to you most about this print? Curator: Formally, I observe a structured interplay of horizontal and vertical lines. The artist orchestrates tonal variation achieved through controlled density of engraved marks. Note the calculated mirroring effect of the still water and its capacity to duplicate the city's architectural facets, augmenting an understanding of symmetry and balance within the picture plane. How do you perceive the function of the sky within this composition? Editor: Well, the sky, especially with that rather voluminous cloud, lightens the overall feel and prevents the composition from becoming too heavy, while balancing out the solid mass of the castle. But why the castle towering above the city; is it just to enhance depth? Curator: Its function is to act as a pivotal structural component, strategically situated atop the pictorial space. It commands attention by use of vertical elongation. As an emblem, this imparts meaning—authority imposed on, or safeguarding the metropolis. Do you notice any recurring patterns? Editor: Besides the obvious mirroring in the water? I guess the contrast between the organic shapes of the landscape and the geometric forms of the architecture? It certainly seems to add to the tension within the overall structure. I now look at engravings in a completely new way. Curator: Yes, noticing those contrasting patterns enables us to read it more closely and deeply and appreciate the artist’s technique in structuring the composition.