Ophanging aan kruis 1565 - 1630

Editor: We're looking at "Ophanging aan kruis," or "Suspension on the Cross," an engraving made sometime between 1565 and 1630 by Antonio Tempesta, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. The subjects look tortured, but there’s also something very deliberate, almost technical, about the way the torture devices are rendered. What's your perspective? Curator: It strikes me as a dance, of sorts, a choreography of suffering meticulously staged against the cold architecture. See how the architectural elements seem to mimic the victims' posture. The cool columns and arches amplify the stark contrast between human agony and structural impassivity. It's all a bit unsettling, isn't it? What kind of emotional response do you find it conjures within yourself? Editor: Definitely unsettling. There's a very strong emotional impact in how those tortures are set up. There is such dramatic tension here. Is there any particular element, from the visual aspect or in the story it represents, that you find especially meaningful? Curator: I keep coming back to that contrast between the organic – the tormented flesh, the ropes that bite – and the inorganic. And the light, such stark, merciless light illuminating every muscle, every bead of sweat... The artist wanted to make you *feel* it. Editor: The level of detail definitely contributes to that visceral feeling. It makes you question what's "beautiful." Thank you. I didn't really notice at first but now the balance is amazing. Curator: Right? I keep discovering something new myself every time I view it!