Twee handen 1620 - 1647

Curator: Looking at "Twee handen," which translates to "Two Hands," by Stefano della Bella, created sometime between 1620 and 1647. It's a pen drawing, held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. And well, what's your initial impression? Editor: They look…tentative. Like he’s trying to understand hands. I mean, they're recognizable as hands, but the sketchiness gives them an almost spectral quality. Almost like capturing something ephemeral, something fleeting, like hands themselves. Curator: Yes, "fleeting" is interesting, considering how loaded the symbol of hands can be. Consider the Hand of God in religious iconography, the Hand of Fatima offering protection, or the handshake signifying agreement. In art, hands signify action, creation, relationship. But these seem devoid of narrative. Editor: Exactly. That's why they're so striking. They're hands stripped of context, reduced to just…form. They're practicing, almost as if Della Bella were more concerned with anatomy than with telling any story. I feel like it makes me aware of my own hands right now! Like, "Oh, wow, I have these things that I constantly take for granted.” Curator: It's compelling because it doesn't attempt a complete picture, letting the mind fill in the blanks. There is an intimacy and universality in recognizing hands in all their imperfection. Remember that hands have always represented labor and craftsmanship; these sketched hands remind us of that skill required to create other art. The work reflects on itself. Editor: Yes, the raw simplicity, that unfinished feel gives it an immediacy. You see the artist's process. Maybe they aren't telling a story, but they tell the story of how a drawing happens, one line at a time. In the context of all those grandiose baroque paintings, something so quiet becomes rebellious. Curator: In this light pen work, Della Bella prompts us to look closely at the ordinary. Not necessarily for beauty, but simply for a deeper understanding. It’s almost an invitation to pause and contemplate how crucial our hands are in engaging with the world. Editor: Precisely! It reminds me of why I'm an artist. To try and grab hold of some ineffable part of being alive, one gesture at a time. It makes you wonder, doesn't it?