Maria met Kind met boek 1613 - 1670

Curator: Immediately, the hatching and cross-hatching gives it a weighty, sombre quality. It's intriguing. Editor: Indeed. What we're observing is an engraving attributed to Francesco Curti, likely created between 1613 and 1670. It’s titled "Maria met Kind met boek" and presents us with a history painting rendered in a baroque style. Curator: The gaze of Mary is directed downward to the book, but the Christ child regards the viewer in anticipation. His stance is unsteady but reaching toward a pot of flowers with, perhaps, symbolic connections to purity and sacrifice. The tonal gradations Curti achieves are astounding, given the medium's limitations. Editor: I love how he's balancing precariously there! Almost feels like a frozen moment of mischievous discovery before he makes a grab for those forbidden flowers. Gives this very formal image a lovely dash of impish humanity. Curator: Observe, too, how the lines deepen to define form, concentrating on the folds of Mary’s robes and the stark contrast of light on the children's flesh. Curti used the engraving medium strategically, a technique aligned with contemporary trends, to disseminate iconic devotional imagery, in a portrait-like composition, I must add. Editor: And even though it's "just" an engraving, there is a feeling of lushness here. You get a real sense of textures, from skin to drapery to leaves. You can practically feel that chilly stone wall against your back, can’t you? And maybe feel your toddler on the cusp of testing boundaries! It is all very human. Curator: It certainly transcends mere reproduction; Curti imbues the scene with considerable depth. And that use of the limited palette forces your eye to dance about the image in interesting ways, focusing on forms rather than colour. A truly effective print. Editor: Yes, there’s something deeply satisfying about the starkness here, a beautiful exercise in tonal discipline.