Circe Punishes Glaucus by Turning Scylla into a Monster 1695

Curator: This work strikes me as an example of contained frenzy. Editor: I'm here to introduce Eglon van der Neer's oil on canvas, "Circe Punishes Glaucus by Turning Scylla into a Monster," dating to 1695. The medium here allows van der Neer to conjure complex luminosity. Curator: Luminosity, yes, particularly in the rendering of flesh. Yet I keep returning to Circe's gesture, pouring something from the shell. It brings such a dark tension. Editor: The oil paints grant van der Neer incredible control, but that control extends only so far. The social position and patronage he needs will always limit him. The sheen he coaxes is also at the service of power. Curator: Agreed. But what visual rhymes does he use? The echoed gestures of Scylla and Glaucus contrast with the cool control of Circe. Editor: It is, fundamentally, an artisanal process, where he employs costly raw materials transformed by labor in ways both unique and entirely in keeping with the period’s market forces. The cobalt, the lead… Curator: And visually, that potent dynamic boils down to formal composition. Take, for example, the swirling composition—figures pulled and pushed from whirlpool forces, which contrast greatly with Circe’s firm position, standing on the shoreline between both land and sea, and good and bad fortunes. Editor: Even the pigments available would contribute to this overall drama. I mean, think about the complex network required to procure the materials and training of such a talent; the access granted… the lack of it, actually, to many others! Curator: Well, looking at this image overall, regardless of external circumstances, is quite intriguing! Editor: Indeed! It prompts reflections beyond pure aesthetics alone.