Vrouw met zalfpot als Maria Magdalena 1608 - 1688

Curator: Here we have a baroque print titled "Vrouw met zalfpot als Maria Magdalena," dating sometime between 1608 and 1688. Editor: She's captivating, holding that jar so carefully. It's like she's protecting a secret, a heavy quiet sadness hangs around her. Curator: It's an engraving. Looking closely, we can appreciate the intricate network of lines, the varying pressures applied to the burin to achieve the tonal gradations and suggest volume. Notice the economical use of line to define fabric, skin, and the smooth surface of the ointment jar. Editor: That jar! It's almost a character itself, weighty and central to the composition, catching the light. Is she lost in thought, remembering or anticipating? I find my eyes keep coming back to the ointment jar. Curator: These types of prints played an important role in disseminating imagery and ideas, serving as accessible visual records for a broad audience. Reproductions like these brought religious narratives into everyday life and spaces. Consider the labor invested; from preparing the copper plate, creating the original drawing or copying one, to printing itself and eventual circulation of this image in various locations. Editor: Right, not just spiritual nourishment, but also a means of communicating power structures. Though beyond that—the sensitivity! The face is beautifully rendered—it feels so intimate and vulnerable for its time. Curator: Precisely. And one could ponder the selection and the sourcing of that ointment pot in depicting her too. From maker to seller, how many hands helped materialize the story, quite literally? Editor: Mmh, a collective endeavour to make Maria Magdelena visual. Even through the art making. What a moving, meditative piece that's given me pause for thought! Curator: Indeed, a compelling work. An insight into printmaking practices while depicting a religious scene, it reminds us about artistic creation across the passage of time and belief.