Kwatrijnen bij de portretten van de courtisanes genaamd Maria van Straatsburg en slagersvrouw Catrijn van Praag 1635

Curator: This print, residing in the Rijksmuseum, is titled "Kwatrijnen bij de portretten van de courtisanes genaamd Maria van Straatsburg en slagersvrouw Catrijn van Praag" by Crispijn van de Passe the Younger, dating back to 1635. It’s an engraving on paper. Editor: My initial impression is of text primarily, punctuated by two circular depressions; the piece strikes me as surprisingly dry, almost clinical. Is it the texture of the engraving or just its graphic black and white? Curator: As an iconographer, I find the seemingly austere presentation belies a fascinating complexity. The portraits, though simple in line, allude to a specific societal context: the lives of these two women, Maria of Strasbourg and Catrijn, the butcher's wife from Prague, immortalized through both image and verse. The encircling voids have an odd pull and repulsion – perhaps of being on show, yet erased… Editor: A formal analysis points towards a careful balance despite its seeming simplicity. The letterforms create a texture which, in combination with a consistent framing in portrait and prose, underscores its even construction. This work creates stability in repetition – though maybe those repetitions have another purpose as you were suggesting? Curator: Exactly! The very act of placing these women—a noble courtesan and a butcher's wife—side-by-side carries significance. It subtly challenges the viewer's presumptions about social standing, hinting at the transactional relationships underlying even seemingly disparate roles. This may also say something about class-based judgments; by pairing the women, their portraits have the ability to confront viewers as individuals as opposed to just an economic status or place within their locale. Editor: An interesting socio-political subtext woven into the graphic design, indeed. The lack of ornate flourishes, or other baroque devices in favour of straightforward inscription actually amplifies this sense of unvarnished commentary. The contrast lies in this absence and the subsequent symbolic charge – creating what feels, in retrospect, like deliberate decisions around the artwork’s structure. Curator: Ultimately, Crispijn van de Passe offers more than a visual record; it serves as a nuanced commentary on class, circumstance, and representation within the 17th-century Dutch Republic and beyond. A complex dance between identity and artistry. Editor: A seemingly simple print reveals layered constructions. From a starting point of personal perspective, to uncovering some of the cultural values held within, "Kwatrijnen bij de portretten van de courtisanes genaamd Maria van Straatsburg en slagersvrouw Catrijn van Praag" asks questions and defies simple reduction.