Landscape with Alpheus and Arethusa 

Editor: So this is Anthonie Waterloo’s "Landscape with Alpheus and Arethusa," an etching. The scene is incredibly detailed, a dense forest surrounding this small body of water, where a figure is emerging from the water and reaching out towards someone fleeing. What do you make of this frantic interaction? Curator: I'm struck by how Waterloo uses landscape here. It isn't just a pretty backdrop. Think of landscape itself as an actor in this drama. The trees, rendered so meticulously, feel almost protective, witnessing this pursuit. This isn't just a flight from Alpheus, but also an entry into a sacred space of transformation. What memories, do you think, would this evoke for a viewer of the time? Editor: I guess the story of Alpheus and Arethusa would already be well-known… so there’s an element of recognition that adds depth? Curator: Exactly! Knowing the myth—Arethusa fleeing Alpheus’s advances and turning into a spring—imbues the image with layers of meaning. The landscape becomes symbolic. Water as transformation, the forest as refuge... And consider the artistic choices: the emphasis on the natural world during the Baroque period mirrors a societal interest in the relationship between humanity and nature. Look at the symbolism of a continuous transformation— what emotions are triggered in us when viewing it? Editor: The story certainly casts a shadow of both violence and escape upon an otherwise peaceful scene. The chase leads to her transformation. It’s powerful how he captures that instant. Curator: Precisely! The image is not static; it's a moment pregnant with potential. Even today, the symbols—water, trees, the fleeing figure—continue to resonate, perhaps triggering anxieties around the body, gender, or safety within a landscape. The image becomes a timeless representation of pursuit and change. Editor: It's incredible how a seemingly straightforward landscape can be so packed with cultural and emotional significance! Curator: Indeed. Waterloo used universal anxieties that continue to persist in this image centuries later. We remember our cultural history and traumas when viewing these visual symbols.