De Speel- en Wijnduivel 1535 - 1553

Curator: Cornelis Anthonisz.'s "De Speel- en Wijnduivel," created between 1535 and 1553, is a captivating engraving held here at the Rijksmuseum. What are your initial thoughts on this Northern Renaissance piece? Editor: My immediate impression is one of bizarre festivity—it feels both celebratory and darkly comic. The figure's barrel body and grotesque features create a striking contrast. Curator: Precisely. Anthonisz. employs meticulous cross-hatching to define form and texture. Notice how the lines create volume in the barrel and suggest the play of light on the metal jug. The texture gives visual weight to the allegory represented. Editor: The barrel-torso and vine crown scream Bacchus to me. Wine, revelry, and excess, yet with a sinister edge – a sword raised aloft. It brings to mind morality plays and the ever-present threat of damnation. The smoke emanating from the snout suggests a type of corrupted thought and decay. Curator: Indeed. The inscription above, though partially obscured, hints at a moralizing message. The structural integrity of the piece lies in the figure's contrapposto stance, giving it a sense of dynamic tension, a tension echoed by the sword overhead and the solid grounded feet and grape clusters at its feet. Editor: Symbolically, the grapes near the foot might represent earthly pleasures or the very source of the wine that fuels this "play and wine devil." Even the overturned stone inscribed with "Cat" lends itself to symbolic decoding as an abridged version of "Catastrophe." This whole character presents this idea that unrestrained indulgences will lead to eventual collapse and calamity. Curator: A compelling interpretation, highlighting the artwork's allegorical complexity and engagement with philosophical discourse. Anthonisz successfully merges meticulous technical skill with intricate symbolic language to achieve complex aesthetic objectives. Editor: Seeing the layering of symbolism throughout, combined with the slightly unsettling form, really brings forth how art can speak to timeless human struggles. Curator: A rewarding discussion that throws light on this darkly humorous and surprisingly nuanced print.