Jakob vecht met de engel 1612 - 1686

Editor: So, this is Henri Mauperché’s "Jacob Wrestling with the Angel," a print dating sometime between 1612 and 1686. It's a fascinating scene, incredibly detailed given the medium. It feels almost dreamlike. I'm curious, what story does this print tell you? Curator: A story of struggle, I think. Not just physical, mind you. Look at Jacob, his face obscured, almost hiding from the divine light of the angel. It feels like a grappling with faith, a doubt simmering beneath the surface of devotion. Ever wrestled with your beliefs, like wrestling a shadow in the twilight? Editor: I think I do. Is the landscape important to how we should read the image? Curator: Hugely. Notice how the background is hazy, undefined? It's not just about a physical place, is it? It represents that uncertainty, the unknown terrain of spiritual questioning. It is the landscape of Jacob's soul. Mauperché masterfully sets the stage of existential pondering, if I can make that connection! What strikes you most about their embrace? Editor: That it seems both violent and tender at the same time. A paradox, maybe. Curator: Precisely! It’s a paradox reflecting the divine itself. The Baroque loved a bit of drama, and I find it beautifully woven into this grappling in ink. Do you think Jacob wins, loses, or perhaps something in-between? Editor: I don’t know, but the question feels more important than the answer. Curator: You've hit it right on the head! That's the Baroque spirit, that wrestling in the dark! This print’s like a reminder of our own stumbles and triumphs, our questions asked in the grand theatre of life, isn’t it?