Pinechas 1577

Curator: Today we're examining Johann Sadeler I's engraving "Pinechas," created in 1577 and part of the Rijksmuseum's collection. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the textures. The stark contrasts of light and shadow etched into the figure create a commanding presence, even with the somewhat delicate medium of engraving. Curator: Indeed. This work exemplifies Northern Renaissance printmaking, yet to fully engage with it, we need to unpack the historical context of the figure. Pinechas, or Phinehas, is a significant figure in the Hebrew Bible, known for his zealous act to stop a plague, and often read as a patriarchal agent of divinity, violently enforcing piety and ethno-religious boundaries. Editor: Looking at the figure's spear, though, its production and symbolic meaning are linked. Consider the craftsman who forged this weapon for zealotry, and Sadeler's role to make such violence visually and materially persuasive for audiences in 1577. Curator: It's precisely the construction of that persuasive image that fascinates me. We see the artist aligning himself, through visual rhetoric, with the prevailing attitudes towards religious authority, toward figures that take brutal actions against the out-group, an act now often read as a sign of violence against non-compliant members. This print also tells us something about power dynamics inherent in religious artwork of the period. How these images shaped our own contemporary readings of gendered and religious violences is what motivates me when studying images such as this one. Editor: Absolutely, and even more specifically how materials and the skill applied affect that power. Look at the meticulous detail etched to denote fine textiles: labor intended to show prosperity, but perhaps the most important tool employed to show authority within Sadeler's representation. The layers of meaning become incredibly tactile. Curator: A persuasive synthesis of belief and craft indeed! Thank you for your illuminating reading. Editor: It was truly a powerful experience diving into the image and considering how its materiality contributes to such larger themes of identity, social responsibility and power that are embedded in its forms.