Phaëthon vraagt toestemming aan zijn vader om met de zonnewagen te rijden c. 1670 - 1726

Curator: Well, this piece is an etching by Johannes Glauber, made sometime between 1670 and 1726. The title translates to "Phaeton asks his father for permission to drive the sun chariot". Editor: Ah, Phaeton! Talk about youthful hubris. Even in monochrome, the whole scene has a rather… unstable energy. A swirling baroque daydream gone slightly sour, perhaps. Curator: Indeed. The composition is a clear articulation of baroque aesthetics; observe the dynamic arrangement, figures thrust forward into the viewer's space, enveloped by an almost theatrical cloudscape. Consider, also, the implied diagonals that structure the narrative tension between Phaeton and his father, Phoebus. Editor: Diagonals are doing overtime here. I love the scratchy texture—makes me think of an impatient charcoal drawing. Everyone's on a cloud, practically vibrating. And the sky seems less divine and more like impending doom! Do you think that texture lends an allegorical complexity here? The technique speaking of a flawed, almost dangerous ambition? Curator: The artist’s deliberate use of etching enhances that interpretation. Line weight varies considerably; notice how Glauber renders depth— areas receding are suggested by lighter, more delicate lines while areas that advance show more pronounced lines. The contrast suggests an active instability in the very nature of ambition. Editor: An instability well-deserved, knowing how Phaeton's joyride ends. It is amazing how a piece rendered mainly in tonal contrasts, captures something deeply unsettling in his subject. Curator: Agreed. A work such as this allows us to view the past not only as art history, but, moreover, consider art's capacity to reveal a symbolic interplay of power and human aspiration across eras. Editor: Right. And hopefully, to learn a lesson about not letting teenage children drive the sun. On that note, off to face the fiery trials of the coffee machine.