Gezelschap rond een tafel bij kaarslicht before 1803

Editor: This is "Company around a table by candlelight," an etching and engraving by baron Dominique Vivant Denon, made before 1803. It feels like a snapshot of a secret, doesn't it? A very intense one too. I wonder, what story do you think this etching is trying to tell? Curator: Ah, candlelight! The ultimate magician, turning ordinary gatherings into clandestine affairs. For me, this print isn't just telling a story; it’s whispering a secret. Consider the era: pre-1803, a world teetering on the edge of revolution. This intimate gathering, bathed in flickering light, hints at conversations unspoken in broader daylight. Do you get the impression that this an era on the brink? Editor: Definitely. There's this hushed atmosphere, even a touch of theatricality, which reminds me a bit of Romanticism, I suppose. It seems strange, like looking in on a world I shouldn’t be seeing. Curator: Precisely! Denon was a man of his time, deeply involved in the artistic and political circles of pre-revolutionary France, so, who knows what schemes and romances these figures might be engaged in, masked under the pretense of genteel conviviality? That's part of the game, right? I am curious - do you also get the sense that these are 'real people', not theatrical characters, that the artist is putting on stage? Editor: Yes, and now you point it out, it’s probably also why I thought of Romanticism because the image felt raw. It also feels like an ordinary event in their lives. I hadn't considered Denon's personal and political context though! I see it in a totally different light now. Curator: Exactly! Sometimes a little backstory sheds light on even the most dimly lit corners of art. Now, next time you are at a candle-lit dinner, consider, are you part of such a painting too? What secrets and lies are going on here, now, around the table. Food for thought.