Nachtelijke moord 1648 - 1650

Curator: This etching is entitled "Nachtelijke moord", or "Night Murder", crafted between 1648 and 1650 by Samuel van Hoogstraten, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the stark contrast, despite its small scale. The crosshatching creates a deeply atmospheric nocturnal scene, heavy with dread and anticipation. It's undeniably grim. Curator: Indeed, and consider the context of the Dutch Golden Age. History paintings weren't always grand pronouncements on state affairs; sometimes they focused on more intimate, brutal episodes like this, tapping into societal anxieties around crime and justice. Hoogstraten was interested in perspectival tricks. He had this idea of the peepshow box, that makes you the all-seeing eye to hidden affairs. He printed several perspectives to play with in that same box, as well. This composition uses a theatrical stage layout to present itself. Editor: Right, there's a palpable tension here. It's as though we've stumbled upon a clandestine act, emphasized by the rigid building, and the shadowy figure brandishing his weapon towards a small band of criminals. The artist, though depicting the act itself, invites us to become witnesses and also accomplices, a complicated viewing position that reveals much about 17th-century power dynamics. Curator: And think about how the city backdrop itself isn’t neutral, the built environment contributes to a sense of order, literally looming large as an agent over these illicit goings on. The dark and mysterious environment emphasizes the drama of the unfolding crime, typical in baroque pieces during that time. It might offer an ethical, historical critique regarding how wealth is being distributed amongst a city that just found independence from Spanish colonizers! Editor: A critique visualized, absolutely, made all the more resonant by the palpable emotionality radiating from this supposedly simple monochrome print. I love the contrast of baroque storytelling with its attention to real violence within community! Curator: Absolutely, viewing it through that particular lens really underscores how this artwork offers, in its essence, a complex story. Editor: A stark reminder, indeed, of the stories that visual culture holds about class division in power and violence during that period.