Liggende naakte baby c. 1663 - 1666

Editor: Right now, we're looking at "Liggende naakte baby" which roughly translates to 'Reclining Naked Baby'. It's a drawing made with ink on paper around 1663-1666 by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, and currently held at the Rijksmuseum. The detail in this piece feels so delicate. What do you make of this infant in repose? Curator: Well, the immediacy of the ink strokes captures a very specific type of vulnerability and transient purity, don't you think? There's an almost casual elegance in how Mitelli captures the baby’s form – no idealization, but instead a very present and tactile being. It’s a baroque study, where religious sentiment meets everyday life. Does the depiction of this sleeping babe invoke feelings of peace? Editor: Absolutely! It also makes me consider themes of innocence and the beginnings of life… It has such a fleeting feel to it. Do you see any elements beyond the obvious innocence that might suggest deeper symbolism or the historical period it was created in? Curator: You picked up on an insightful observation. The baroque era often portrayed children to trigger introspection and emotional reactions. While cherubic forms were common, it makes me wonder what narratives existed around vulnerability and fragility at that time. This wasn't necessarily an allegorical figure but the portrayal of childhood as it related to religious and mortal existence, but more as an observation, if that makes sense. And yes, there’s something inherently melancholic in observing something so fleeting. Editor: So, Mitelli is playing with these visual sentiments of infancy, without necessarily ascribing any heavy symbolic meaning? Curator: Precisely, that makes it a deeply sensitive piece, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: I never thought of it that way. Thanks!