Salomo aan tafel met een geliefde 1737

Andries van Buysen’s print presents a complex interplay of interior and exterior spaces, rendered with delicate lines. The composition, dominated by the figures of Salomo and his beloved at the table, is framed by architectural elements and a tapestry, creating a stage-like setting. This stage directs our eyes not only to the foreground but also to a detailed landscape, where the natural and the supernatural seem to converge. The artwork’s structural use of line and space invites us to consider the relationship between the immediate, intimate scene and the broader, almost cosmic backdrop. The detailed rendering of fabric, flora, and figures uses a semiotic system, where each element contributes to a larger symbolic reading. Van Buysen does not merely illustrate a biblical scene but constructs a tableau that invites interpretation. The stark contrast between the confined interior and the expansive landscape beyond destabilizes traditional notions of space, suggesting that the personal and the universal are intertwined. This tension, captured through the formal elements of the print, challenges us to reconsider fixed meanings and invites ongoing interpretation.