Interieur van de kerk de Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta te Ariccia 1665 - 1667

Curator: So, here we have "Interieur van de kerk de Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta te Ariccia," a baroque engraving by Giovanni Battista Falda, dating back to 1665-1667. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: That’s a mouthful! My initial reaction is one of awe at the scale, which is cleverly represented, and a somber mood given the interior setting of a church rendered with ink. What strikes you the most about this engraving? Curator: The theatricality, certainly. Isn’t it something how Falda uses the architectural space to direct our gaze? The eye travels from the foreground figures, little theatrical players, down the long nave toward the dramatically lit altar. It’s a carefully orchestrated dance of light and perspective. It practically begs you to genuflect before the altar, doesn’t it? And yet...it’s a drawing! Such restraint. Editor: A dance is an apt way to put it. I noticed those tiny figures too, almost like ants marching into the grand space. How do they affect our sense of the building? Curator: Well, they really amp up the grandness, don’t they? Imagine this interior without those tiny humans, it's still impressive architecture but less relatable, less alive, somehow. Falda invites us to be the giants observing this Lilliputian scene, both powerful and strangely distant from the divine act that is presumably taking place. This reminds me of these old Baroque trompe-l'oeil frescoes in Italy…ever seen those? Editor: I've seen examples, though not in person. They really played with perspective to trick the eye. It's like Falda does the same, only with much simpler means. It is deceptively simple. Curator: Exactly. Simple but brilliant! An architectural marvel, yes, but it becomes something more poignant through these visual devices. Like capturing a memory... Fleeting and grand all at once. It also leaves me wondering: how did Falda *really* feel about this church? A true commission always bears the soul of the artist who completes it... Editor: It makes me wonder, too. He invites us into a very specific perspective but leaves the reading open. So much can be suggested through a single image! Curator: Yes, it's those unresolved questions that really bring a piece to life for me. Always dig a little deeper, I say!