David onthoofdt Goliat Possibly 1630 - 1702

Editor: Here we have an engraving titled "David onthoofdt Goliat," placing us somewhere between 1630 and 1702. The piece is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection and credited to an anonymous artist. The scene, depicted in sharp, precise lines, seems chaotic and dramatic. What do you see in this piece, particularly regarding the way the narrative is presented? Curator: Oh, that slice of savage history served up as art! Well, my eye is drawn to the theatrical flourish. Think about it—here's David, a young sprout, hacking away at the giant Goliath's neck. He's like a zealous gardener pruning a rather oversized, ornately armoured weed! But the anonymous genius who created this...it’s got that whole Baroque drama dialled up to eleven. Everyone is squashed into the picture. Aren't we all in life anyway? You’ve got warring crowds in each corner adding weight and momentum like in the wings of an epic play. Is there anything about the staging that catches your attention? Editor: The crowds definitely amplify the drama. The foreground really highlights David's act, while the armies in the background seem secondary, more like witnesses than participants in this pivotal moment. I think my attention drifts because the landscape flattens in a strange way. It makes the scene seem dreamlike or staged. Curator: Ah, that's clever! It *is* dreamlike! Yes, maybe our engraver isn’t trying to recreate reality with precision, so we shouldn’t try to apply modern expectations to it, perhaps, it is inviting us into this symbolic landscape where ideas are grander and emotions run wilder! Do you get a sense of the artist taking a certain pride in detailing all those teeny tiny soldiers with spears! Almost playful in tone! It almost feels like a satire to some degree! Editor: I see what you mean. Thank you. I guess I hadn't fully appreciated the theatrical element. Now that you’ve mentioned it, that "grandness" helps to appreciate it, and brings another dimension.