Demonstratie van de slangbrandspuiten op de toren van de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal te Antwerpen, ca. 1670-1680 1690 - 1735

Curator: Here we have an engraving, likely dating from between 1670 and 1680, now held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The piece is titled, “Demonstratie van de slangbrandspuiten op de toren van de Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal te Antwerpen”—a rather descriptive title. Editor: Right, “Demonstration of hose fire extinguishers on the tower of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp.” It's giving me almost a stage-set kind of vibe. Grand, detailed architecture and smoke effects, as if someone's directing an epic historical drama! Curator: Indeed! Note how the artist, Laurens Scherm, utilizes the incisive line work typical of Baroque engravings to render both the impressive architectural details of the Cathedral and the surrounding cityscape. Semiotically, the stark contrast between the dark smoke and the precise rendering emphasizes a binary: order and chaos. Editor: Yeah, those almost frantic, scribbled lines that shape the smoke really contrast with the rigidity of the building's architecture. The composition is pulling in two different directions! Also, did the artist really think anyone would be able to put out a tower fire with those tiny little hoses? It feels almost comical in hindsight. Curator: The efficacy of the hoses may be questioned in our modern context, however the demonstration would have served as a symbol of civic progress and perhaps even reassurance in a burgeoning urban environment constantly threatened by fire. Notice how the crowd gathers almost performatively; the scene isn’t merely documentary, but allegorical. Editor: Hmmm…true! The cathedral and the smoke—together, almost seem to symbolize vulnerability of a towering ideal. Still, it makes me think of how we confront contemporary catastrophes now through performative rituals on social media…the need to show, more than solve, maybe? Curator: A fascinating analogy. In any case, it speaks to the enduring relevance of studying these historical visual artifacts; for how they communicate, how they persuade, and ultimately, what they reveal about humanity and its perpetual anxieties. Editor: Absolutely. An old picture of a tower on fire leads us straight to Twitter—history is weird like that! Anyway, as fire engravings go, the interplay of precision and wildness definitely puts it high on my list.