Ornament met Pyramus en Thisbe en verschillende ronde ornamenten 1690 - 1710

Curator: Right now we're looking at "Ornament met Pyramus en Thisbe en verschillende ronde ornamenten" by Gerrit Visscher, dating back to around 1690-1710. It’s an engraving, a drawing really, that features various round ornamental designs. Editor: It's giving me serious secret society vibes, like a blueprint for a Renaissance escape room! I'm intrigued, but also slightly overwhelmed. Curator: Ornament prints such as this one played an important role. In this era they circulated as models for artisans working in a range of decorative fields, acting almost like design prototypes that influenced styles across Europe. How interesting that print functioned as both artistic creation and vehicle for dissemination of design. Editor: Ah, so less Illuminati, more… IKEA instruction manual for the 17th century artisan? I like it. It reframes my view entirely, I was stuck thinking about symbolism, but practical design, yeah, I see it! I do love the tragic Pyramus and Thisbe smack-dab in the center! Such melodrama. Curator: Absolutely. The presence of Pyramus and Thisbe within this overall ornamental design is really thought-provoking, especially when considering it through a lens of gender and power. It’s worth questioning what this ill-fated story might be telling us about relationships within the confines of the decorative. This motif was pretty popular in Baroque art and served various allegorical purposes at the time, and as such also possibly comments on concepts of desire, societal restriction, or the inevitable failures of youthful love. Editor: True that—youthful love, always a mess. I suppose placing their tragedy among floral flourishes does highlight this inherent tension in the ornamental: is it genuinely about beauty, or cleverly constructed restraint? It makes you wonder about the social restrictions implied. Curator: Right. Visscher is doing more than creating a visually pleasing piece, this artwork prompts discussion around love, restriction and also questions of craft in its very nature. It challenges us to interrogate these boundaries. Editor: Okay, you've given me something to chew on, I'm seeing Visscher's work with fresh eyes. It makes a strong case about what we choose to embellish—and what we conceal within it. Thanks!