Johannes de Doper als kind met lam c. 1745 - 1765

Editor: Here we have "Johannes de Doper als kind met lam," or "John the Baptist as a Child with a Lamb," an engraving from around 1745-1765. The artist was James McArdell. The soft lighting and delicate details give it a really dreamlike feel, almost as if the figures are emerging from a mist. It’s quite moving, in an understated way. What catches your eye about it? Curator: Oh, absolutely. Dreamlike, yes – like a half-remembered Baroque daydream. McArdell captures this cherubic John with such tenderness. I wonder, does it strike you how the lamb, this classic symbol of innocence and sacrifice, nuzzles against him? There's a subtle premonition there, isn’t there? A faint shadow cast upon this seemingly idyllic scene, and a subtle narrative tension between the soft sensuality of the bodies, textures, and the more rugged forms that appear at a distance. What do you make of the setting, by the way? The way the wilderness in the background encroaches even on this small domesticated pastoral scene? Editor: It’s interesting you point that out. I was so focused on the central figures that I almost missed how the background creates a sense of both protection and isolation. Like a safe haven threatened by the unknown. I also see that McArdell used very subtle shading to add volume and shape the subject into a cohesive composition. Do you think there's any correlation to the way engravers at this time period attempted to emulate similar forms, qualities and details as seen with more ‘fine art’ focused mediums like paint? Curator: Yes! Absolutely. I see these period engravings, at their finest, as chasing after painting—mimicking light, volume, and the subtle gradations of tone. McArdell succeeds, beautifully. Editor: I guess I always saw engravings as more documentary, but now I can appreciate how much artistic license and interpretation was involved. I’ll definitely look at these works with a new perspective from now on. Curator: Exactly. And I’ll keep thinking about how dreams can also whisper prophecies. It is that what ultimately defines how beautiful this piece is?