Mercurius beschuldigt Battus 1600 - 1647

Curator: What a flurry of suggestive lines! I immediately see high drama and intense exchange, set against the backdrop of...cows? Editor: Indeed! The work we are considering is entitled "Mercurius beschuldigt Battus," created sometime between 1600 and 1647 by Moyses van Wtenbrouck. It’s an engraving, so the dynamism you note stems from a deliberate layering of lines to produce form and texture. Curator: Right, an engraving, which, considering its date, would have been quite avant-garde, but tell me more. Mercurius accusing Battus, the name makes it sound weighty, intellectual even! Is it supposed to mean something? Editor: Wtenbrouck here tackles a scene plucked straight from Ovid's "Metamorphoses." Mercury, disguised as a shepherd, tests Battus' honesty by offering him a reward to keep quiet about his stolen cattle. Battus agrees but then betrays Mercury, revealing the theft. Incensed, Mercury transforms him into a touchstone – hence, "accusations." Curator: I see, it is about betrayals, lies, transformation – big stuff then! And rendered in such precise detail. The bodies are interesting, almost monumental in their positioning despite the humble setting, the animals as silent witnesses. The stark contrast must have really struck viewers back then. Editor: Absolutely, the graphic starkness focuses the viewers' attention on the psychological tension between the figures and offers a stage-like landscape, typical for Baroque engravings to intensify its dramatic narrative. It is also possible that such detailed style served the purpose to further enrich the texture, giving almost painterly feeling to it. The narrative is literally etched in every stroke. Curator: Considering its historical context and how carefully structured this composition is, what an apt demonstration of storytelling! From simple line, grand concepts emerge. This gives you so much to think about! Editor: I agree! It reveals layers each time you revisit it.