Christus verschijnt aan een Heilige 1612

Curator: At the Rijksmuseum we have an ink drawing titled "Christus verschijnt aan een Heilige" made around 1612 by Gerard ter Borch the Elder. Editor: The composition strikes me immediately; a very linear, ethereal feel. The layering of the ink hatching really gives form to the floating figures. Curator: Absolutely. Ter Borch has skillfully employed the pen to delineate not only the figures but also the spiritual energy permeating the scene. The contrast between the divine figure and the kneeling saint, how does that speak to you formally? Editor: I think there's something raw, almost hurried, about the work's execution. The saint’s garments, for example, are depicted with very practical, vertical lines that create the form. It reveals more about how the work was constructed rather than focusing solely on the idealised vision. You sense the artist making decisions about labor. Curator: That linearity and emphasis on form follows Baroque principles. But that leads us to the materials: it's all about the layering, that ink allowing a relatively economical drawing to create something ethereal. Do you find that economy influencing the emotional reading of the artwork? Editor: Undoubtedly. There's an accessibility created by the evident manual process of building these figures from marks and lines. The way it brings forth labor can’t be ignored. It makes the holy subject accessible and connects to the immediate tangible world in that regard. Curator: In summary, this work demonstrates the potent way artists combine form, function, and content using available means of expression to address grand themes. Editor: Exactly—seeing how labor translates the spiritual is so important when looking at these works and can give us unique perspectives on production.