Amor en Psyche 1607

Editor: We're looking at Jacob Matham’s “Amor en Psyche” from 1607, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. It’s an engraving, so everything is rendered in incredibly fine lines. My first thought is, it’s so dreamy. It almost feels like a secret glimpse into another world. All of these chubby cherubs flitting about... How do you interpret this work? Curator: It's a luscious rendering of the classical myth, isn't it? The swirling Baroque dynamism meets a Renaissance love for allegory... but to me, the *real* story is in the hatching, all those delicate lines building tone and form. Matham makes the whole scene shimmer, like catching a stolen kiss. Does that make sense? It's a dance of light and shadow that breathes life into these mythological figures. I'm just imagining Matham at his bench, eyes magnified, completely engrossed in this task. It’s so dedicated. Editor: Definitely, the details are incredible! All those fine lines do create a sense of depth. Do you think the choice of making it an engraving gives it a certain feel compared to, say, a painting? Curator: Absolutely. Engraving, unlike painting, demands meticulous planning and execution. Every mark is deliberate. It’s almost like writing code, wouldn’t you say? The constraint breeds ingenuity, and here, Matham transmutes the mythological to the wonderfully tangible and intimate. The figures *become* of the lines... they're nothing without them! Which do you think best embodies the dream-like nature, Psyche, Amor, or some other figure? Editor: That's a great point about the deliberate mark-making. I'm going to have to say the little cherub at the bottom, tugging on the sheets—he makes the scene come alive! This piece really reveals the depth achievable through the printmaking process. Curator: Precisely. Seeing those little touches is exactly how we experience history today! Thank you!