"I, too, was in Arcadia" 1801

Editor: This is Carl Wilhelm Kolbe's print "I, too, was in Arcadia". It’s undated, but it's a stunningly detailed composition, dense with foliage. It almost feels like a stage set. What strikes you about the arrangement of forms? Curator: The engraving technique, particularly the hatching and cross-hatching, establishes the spatial depth and tonality. Notice the stark contrast between light and shadow; where does the eye travel first, and why do you think Kolbe made that choice? Editor: My eye is drawn to the couple, but the extreme detail in the foliage is distracting. I suppose I'm not sure what to make of the visual hierarchy. Curator: The visual tension perhaps echoes the textual tension within the title. The "I" implicates the viewer in the Arcadian scene. Consider the interplay of the figures with the sharp botanical forms. The print almost becomes a study in contrasts. Editor: That's helpful! It makes me appreciate the formal elements even more. Curator: Indeed, the composition invites us to consider the structure and language of visual art itself.