Annunciatie 1618 - 1655

Editor: This is Cornelis Schut’s “Annunciation,” made sometime between 1618 and 1655, currently residing in the Rijksmuseum. It's an intaglio print, and I find the detail incredible given the medium. It feels very dramatic, theatrical almost. What do you make of it? Curator: Dramatic indeed! I see a swirl of baroque energy trying to burst free from the confines of the engraving. Schut’s lines are practically vibrating with emotion, wouldn't you agree? Look at the way the angel's robe seems to levitate around her! It whispers divine message even before she opens her mouth. The dove radiating light at the top feels almost like a spotlight in a play. Tell me, what does Mary's posture suggest to you? Editor: I see both humility and contemplation, but perhaps also a touch of apprehension? She’s leaning away slightly, hand raised, as if both accepting and questioning. Curator: Precisely! Schut beautifully captures that pivotal moment of realization. I wonder if that book next to her represents a closed chapter of her life being disrupted by destiny... The lines in this artwork are also stunning. Do you agree that the artist truly managed to use engraving for painterly purposes? Editor: I totally see that! There is incredible mastery in modulating depth and atmosphere in this etching. What strikes me most is this: he made such complex imagery using solely lines. The whole scene looks so full, grand and energetic, yet also intimate. Thanks so much! Curator: Indeed! Schut gives us the most with the least, and leaves us with the intimate whispers of divinity. Thanks to you, I noticed a completely new dimension of his approach.