Voetwassing 1590 - 1632

Editor: We're looking at "Voetwassing" (The Washing of Feet), a print made sometime between 1590 and 1632 and currently residing at the Rijksmuseum. It’s attributed to Pieter de Jode I. There's something really striking about the detail achieved with just lines – almost like looking at a sketch come to life. How do you even begin to unpack something like this? Curator: Ah, Pieter de Jode. His engravings always felt to me like captured whispers. Here, look at how he uses the stark contrast of light and shadow – very Baroque, no? But it’s more than just dramatic; it amplifies the intimacy of the moment. The washing of feet is a gesture of humility, right? De Jode almost suspends us in this act, doesn’t he? Think about the dog. It's kind of a strange detail. Do you get the feeling, it could be alluding to faithfulness and guardianship. What do you make of all those characters surrounding the key characters, it’s like theatre, do you get that feeling too? Editor: It definitely feels theatrical. Almost too staged, if that makes sense. But that contrast you pointed out... it does pull you in, despite the density of figures. I suppose that humility is precisely what they are looking at with astonishment! I didn't notice the dog there – odd! Curator: And the inscription at the bottom…did you catch that? Latin, of course. Adds another layer to our decoding. It gives context, certainly, but consider how it also functions as part of the visual story, tethering the scene to text, and to understanding. De Jode seems to suggest that images cannot function without narrative, what a mind. Editor: I suppose you're right. Without that context, I'd have missed a big part of the story. Curator: Exactly! Now, do you notice the use of line and how that invokes "old engraving style?" Editor: Now I see it! This reminds me of all those Renaissance sketchbooks, something very spontaneous and of-the-moment. Curator: De Jode managed to capture both the historical weight and human tenderness, making it something both of the past and intensely present. That’s the magic of art, isn’t it? Editor: Definitely given me a new perspective. I’ll never look at an engraving the same way.