Altaarstuk met de aanbidding van het Lam Gods c. 1822 - 1844

Editor: So, here we have Henri Borremans' "Altaarstuk met de aanbidding van het Lam Gods," dating back to somewhere between 1822 and 1844. It looks like it’s a print, an engraving done with ink on paper. I'm immediately struck by how intricate and almost dreamlike it is, reminiscent of old storybooks. It's dense with detail. What do you make of it? Curator: Dreamlike is the perfect word! It's a world meticulously rendered, teeming with figures that seem to whisper stories from centuries past. You know, looking at this, I’m reminded of trying to recall a very elaborate, powerful dream long after you’ve woken. You get fragments, intense feelings… and try to piece them together. How does Borremans' choice of line, so fine and yet so unwavering, impact the mood for you? Editor: It gives it an ethereal quality, I think, almost as if the scene exists on another plane. The sharpness of the lines makes it feel so precise, yet the subject matter is so fantastical. Curator: Precisely! There's a beautiful tension. Now, consider that this print is recreating an altarpiece – a sacred object intended to inspire reverence. Do you see hints of that devotional intention in Borremans' approach? The careful placement of each figure, the way they seem to gaze inwards, almost shyly, as if embarrassed that they have been woken in their own sleep... Editor: Yes, I see it. There's a sense of formality, especially in the upper registers with the divine figures. The lower register has a procession to the Lamb, an illustration of faith, worship. The overall vertical structure, feels, like a prayer ascending to heaven. Curator: Beautifully put! It also has the whiff of theater! A sort of re-imagining of Van Eyck’s masterpiece in a very particular voice! Do you think that makes it more or less “genuine”? Editor: I like that—a whispered version! And I think it does something unique; it interprets, rather than replicates, a classic. It feels like a reverie. Curator: It’s taught me how to approach and view prints in general - how even “copies” can be totally singular. Editor: Absolutely, I think I am seeing the history of faith through someone else's very particular lens and dream of that history. Thanks for sharing!