Interrupted song 1635 - 1675

Editor: This is *Interrupted Song*, an etching by Jacques Dassonville, sometime between 1635 and 1675. It feels incredibly intimate, like peering into a very ordinary moment of daily life. What strikes me is the sheer detail despite its small scale and monochrome palette. What do you see in it? Curator: Ah, yes, I'm immediately drawn to the notion of interruption. Art often thrives on these suspended moments, doesn't it? We’re invited into a scene mid-action, and I find myself constructing my own narrative around the family depicted. Does it feel complete? No, but it's far more compelling because of it! Who’s interrupting who here? The viewer of course, barging in! Editor: It’s true; it makes you wonder what was happening, but also what *will* happen. I love that. Is there something in particular about Dutch Golden Age art that lends itself to this “slice of life” feeling? Curator: Precisely! Think of it as the Instagram of its day - recording these humble, seemingly unimportant moments, elevating the mundane to art. These weren’t portraits of royalty or grand historical narratives. This, dare I say, is reality TV of the 17th Century. And the interrupted song? What else is left unfinished? Editor: It really makes you think about how art captures these fleeting seconds in time. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure! Always remember art isn’t just *there* – it’s a doorway.