Man met het uiterlijk van de duivel in een balzaal 1802 - 1809

Editor: This is "Man met het uiterlijk van de duivel in een balzaal," or "Man with the appearance of the devil in a ballroom," made between 1802 and 1809 by Daniël Veelwaard. It’s an ink drawing, quite intricate. The scene is chaotic, like a party gone horribly wrong, or maybe wonderfully right? I’m intrigued… What's your take? Curator: It feels like a nightmare waltzing into reality, doesn’t it? The devil, amidst all that polite society finery…Veelwaard is offering us a glimpse beneath the powdered wigs, right into the sweaty, chaotic heart of human nature. Notice the single shoe that's been abandoned. A perfect clue, and then that mischievous chandelier casting judgement. What kind of judgement might it represent? Editor: That’s a compelling way to look at it. I guess I was so focused on the, let’s say, theatrical aspect that I missed some of those details, the single shoe you noted seems important. So you see a commentary on hypocrisy within this devilish party? Curator: Precisely! It is more than it seems. I envision the Devil bursting in to show people who they really are. Also, let us examine the romantic style within. It seems paradoxical, but as a commentary on an era, Veelwaard's narrative style is full of meaning. Can we expect moral behaviour out of an immoral class of people? A question left up to us to discern. Editor: The details you pointed out really change the entire feeling. It’s less about the literal image and more about what it's hinting at. Now the party feels... dangerous. Curator: That’s it exactly. Art like this rewards careful looking. The more you pour over the details the more rich, subversive flavours appear. Thanks for opening up to the process. Editor: Absolutely, it gave me new context I can now think more about. Thank you.