The Chocim Treaty (1621) 1796

Curator: Immediately I’m struck by the kind of subdued theatricality here, this gathering in what feels like a very lavish, albeit temporary, setting. It reminds me of the calm before a storm, but is it? Editor: This is “The Chocim Treaty (1621)” painted by Marcello Bacciarelli, much later in 1796. It commemorates a peace treaty. But as we know, peace is fleeting. Curator: Ah, that explains it! The handshake becomes this very delicate almost uneasy meeting of two worlds, especially when we look closer at the fashion. These turbans and caps tell tales of very different cultures, very different symbol systems at play. What a powder keg! Editor: Bacciarelli certainly captures that tension! But I am distracted by the pale tones. They remind me of porcelain figures, elegant but fragile. Do you think the artist wanted to convey how delicate peace can be? The agreement seems less vigorous accord, and more weary capitulation. Curator: Absolutely, notice how the lighting is even, diffused almost, which prevents the building of excitement, dramatic tension… the usual Baroque dynamism is noticeably absent. It almost transforms it from historical painting into something allegorical, wouldn’t you say? That tent in the back, where does it lead, metaphorically speaking? Editor: Perhaps Bacciarelli is suggesting that treaties and accords are ultimately transient. How interesting that he should render this work long after the actual event! History viewed with, perhaps, cynicism? Curator: It makes me ponder on how our current leaders are depicted. The handshake remains a vital visual tool, of course. It makes me reflect on the iconography, which I have observed through history. From the purely political to the religious or marital… Editor: A visual vocabulary for power, then, fraught with potential meaning that exceeds the act itself? And what of these surrounding faces, so similar in colour. A crowd witnessing history! Makes you think, doesn't it? Curator: It really does. And from this vantage point, we might well question whether images of diplomacy can truly ever convey stability. It's all performance isn't it? Editor: Yes, a snapshot can freeze a gesture. But as with this painting, the real story remains untold, a dance of shadows behind the fleeting embrace.