Fries boven de ingang tot de schepenkamer met Alziend Oog en Beloning en Straf 1663

Editor: Here we have "Fries boven de ingang tot de schepenkamer met Alziend Oog en Beloning en Straf" made in 1663 by Hubert Quellinus, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. It's an engraving, and I’m struck by how it manages to create depth using only lines. What do you see in this print? Curator: The strength of this work resides in its compositional organization. Note the duality established through the two friezes: an upper register depicting symbolic elements relating to reward, juxtaposed against a lower register alluding to divine omniscience through the all-seeing eye and allegorical elements of justice. Editor: So, the placement isn’t arbitrary? Curator: Precisely. The vertical division emphasizes the thematic contrast. Moreover, observe the use of line: its varying weight and density serve to create a sophisticated play of light and shadow, endowing the figures with a sculptural quality despite the two-dimensionality of the print. Do you notice anything in the use of symbols? Editor: Now that you point it out, the symbols in each section do feel different; sharp objects on the bottom, more soft features at the top. Almost like the contrast adds meaning. Curator: It's in that dichotomy that meaning flourishes, the visual interplay between light and dark, reward and punishment, informs the thematic heart of Quellinus' work, thus, demonstrating skillful understanding of pictorial grammar to articulate complex ideological statements. A very interesting Baroque piece. Editor: I never would have considered just how important the light and shadow is, let alone considered their philosophical implication. I am starting to appreciate this piece more through formal analysis!