Twee details van het exterieur van de San Marco in Venetië before 1884

Editor: Here we have Carl Heinrich Jacobi's "Twee details van het exterieur van de San Marco in Venetië," made before 1884. It appears to be a print or drawing on paper, showing two decorative panels. I’m immediately struck by the geometric intricacy. How would you interpret these details through a formalist lens? Curator: Let's begin by examining the upper register. Notice the symmetrical arrangement of the two birds flanking a central vessel or fountain. Observe the density of the foliage versus the relative clarity of the avians, setting up a juxtaposition of natural and artificial forms. Can you see how the artist has utilized the picture plane here? Editor: Yes, the upper panel seems almost flattened, compressing the depth. The lower panel relies even more heavily on pattern; it’s almost hypnotic in its interwoven lines. Is there anything significant about the choice of geometric pattern? Curator: Precisely. The interwoven design can be parsed through semiotics to evoke ideas of boundlessness or the infinite. Further consider that, formally, the interlocking design is itself a kind of architectural microcosm that, at a grand scale, could represent our perception of Byzantine structure and, therefore, knowledge. What feelings arise when you consider both in that light? Editor: It feels almost dizzying to think of infinite knowledge structures. The geometric panel feels like a key to Byzantine thought, almost indecipherable with its hidden forms. And then juxtaposing it to that upper panel…it gives some nice grounding to see fauna. Curator: Precisely, this juxtaposition reveals formal intent, one panel providing contrast against the density and artificiality of the other. That allows our perspective and interpretation of either register to be enriched. We see it for both the structure and for its representational qualities. Editor: I see what you mean! Thinking about how these two panels communicate through their differing structures offers a much more holistic understanding of the entire work. Curator: Exactly. And by deconstructing the basic elements, we’ve arrived at a nuanced interpretation.