Jason en de draak 1765

Editor: We are looking at "Jason en de draak," or "Jason and the Dragon," an engraving by John Boydell, created around 1765, here on display at the Rijksmuseum. It's striking how much movement is captured in what is actually quite a dark and still image. What is your perspective on the scene playing out? Curator: Ah, Jason! He always struck me as a bit of a cad, you know? Off on his heroic adventures. But there's real drama here. It is indeed a bit dark but the textures that Boydell managed to create, well, it's phenomenal! Look at the dragon's scales and the gleam of Jason's armor! Can you see the determination on Jason’s face, and conversely the fear in the eyes of the Dragon? And the rocks – do you get a sense of a somewhat stage set? Editor: That contrast is definitely there, yes, in their expressions and how that communicates the tension of the moment! And I love your observation about the textures, they do jump out now. It makes me wonder about the historical context, or Boydell’s intentions behind using this technique, and portraying the figures this way. What story did Boydell try to tell, do you think? Curator: Well, it seems to be a story about the transition. Transitions are tricky. A bridge between the old Baroque and the burgeoning Neoclassicism. He doesn't fully embrace that new aesthetic – look at that dramatic lighting, deeply Baroque! – but the subject matter, Jason the hero, points towards that renewed interest in classical stories. But for all this art historical "this and that," sometimes you just have to wonder what’s going through Jason’s mind right at that moment, eh? That glint of determination, perhaps mixed with an awareness that he is acting out of self interest. That he has a future he is prepared to take! Editor: A transition... fascinating to consider it like that, a bridge between eras embodied in one engraving. Thinking about the nuances of light and shadow adds another layer, too. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! Now go, find your own dragon to slay.