Spring 1617 - 1634
magdalenavandepasse
historical design
picture layout
photo restoration
parchment
old engraving style
golden section
historical photography
old-timey
photo layout
19th century
"Spring" is an etching by Magdalena van de Passe, a Dutch artist, dating from between 1617 and 1634. This piece, now in the Rijksmuseum collection, depicts a young couple enjoying a romantic scene in a garden. The man stands while the woman kneels amongst flowers and a dog. An etching, a printmaking process, creates the detailed, delicate lines that define this artwork, and it shows the influence of the popular 17th-century Dutch genre of landscape painting. The scene is imbued with a sense of tranquility and joy, emphasizing the flourishing of nature and the arrival of spring. The work is a testament to van de Passe's skill in capturing the beauty of everyday life and the burgeoning romance of a young couple.
Comments
The boy’s upward gaze causes a curious element in this print to jump out, namely the cage with young birds hanging from the tree. The door is open, and the little birds can fly out. In 17th-century Dutch art this detail usually signifies the loss of virginity. But whether Magdalena van de Passe – Crispijn’s daughter – actually alludes to this here is open to discussion.
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