Venus and Adonis Possibly 1630 - 1765

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum, we have an engraving entitled "Venus and Adonis." It's attributed to Anthonie Waterloo and thought to date from somewhere between 1630 and 1675. Editor: It strikes me immediately as incredibly detailed, a delicate scene. The way the trees are rendered, all those tiny lines, makes it feel almost… dreamlike. A melancholic dream. Curator: It's a prime example of Baroque landscape, certainly, with its figuration element, Venus, goddess of love, trying to detain her mortal lover, Adonis, from going on a fateful hunt. What is really remarkable is Waterloo's command of engraving. Editor: Right, you have to think about the sheer labor involved in creating this image. The plate itself, the tools, the repetitive actions, like digging tiny ditches one by one and the time it all takes. These prints circulated, were consumed; it's an early form of mass media, essentially, yet each one originates with meticulous labor. Curator: Mass media reflecting individual desires… yes! But this one, like others in Waterloo’s oeuvre, stands out in the finesse with which he could turn emotions and mythology into black ink using tools of such scale. Adonis, handsome and headstrong, lured into adventure by his desires and hunting dog, versus Venus pleading him to consider other things. A timeless conflict depicted with beautiful shading. Editor: And those birds in the sky… they are headed away from the scene and into freedom or possibly impending doom; just tiny marks but creating such movement! Thinking about the materials too—paper made from rags, ink painstakingly prepared. We easily miss it but Waterloo’s creation emerges from the exploitation of something and the transformation to something else. Curator: Seeing these characters embedded within such an expansive landscape just brings the mythological tale to life for me. This balance is what makes Waterloo a true artist for me, imbuing everything with beauty, the scene seems serene while it represents internal conflicts. Editor: And to understand that serenity and what it took…well, it gives one a deeper respect, perhaps. To consider all of these historical hands behind such an image gives one goosebumps almost. Curator: Absolutely, something incredibly profound arises when craftsmanship, story-telling, and the very stuff that makes it all happen come together so seamlessly.