Gevoel 1736

Curator: This is "Gevoel," an engraving from 1736 by Jacques Philippe Le Bas, currently held at the Rijksmuseum. It captures a genre scene in a strikingly realistic, Baroque style. What's your immediate reaction to it? Editor: It's immediately striking how… mundane it feels. The texture of the engraving creates an almost gritty atmosphere, and the figure inspecting his wrist isn't exactly the image of nobility one might expect from Baroque art. Curator: Indeed, its realism challenges the period's typical grandiosity. The central figure's action – looking at what appears to be some kind of timepiece – begs the question, what concepts of time are at play here, and how are they rendered visible through Le Bas’ choice of details? Editor: I find the backdrop almost more compelling. Note the other figures further back and the structure of what appears to be a modest house, possibly highlighting a societal hierarchy or distinction through class in contrast to the opulence we tend to imagine from this time. Curator: The symbolic weight of these elements contributes to a rich visual tapestry. Is the placement of these smaller figures, who appear to be of high class, outside a domestic setting merely circumstantial, or is it hinting at something about a transformation of life and manners? What feelings does the symbolism here bring to your understanding of our shared history? Editor: This might challenge our ideas of collective cultural experiences, then and now. In Le Bas’ world, much like ours, access defines interactions: where, and perhaps with whom, can individuals appear and what roles must they inhabit in such places? I cannot help but feel empathy towards Le Bas’ figure as the artist immortalizes this common person to show their awareness of time in relation to their social class, through something as mundane as wearing what appears to be a simple watch or bracelet, rather than wearing a fine decorative jewel as you might find within noble paintings. Curator: The figure’s expression offers a nuanced perspective; while appearing somewhat glum as though running behind, he holds agency in wearing his personal possession to guide his everyday, so perhaps Le Bas is highlighting time, or rather “lack of”, in how society dictates someone's schedule? Editor: Thank you, Le Bas’ realism invites us to examine the daily constraints imposed by societal and even class pressures through what the engraving renders as beautiful through something deemed “imperfect” such as time itself. Curator: A wonderful examination!