Baden van Dioclectianus, met toren 1600

Editor: So, here we have Hendrick Hondius I’s engraving from 1600, “Baden van Dioclectianus, met toren," or Baths of Diocletian with a Tower. It has a slightly surreal feeling for me – ruins within this sort of...oval vignette. How do you interpret this work, particularly given the baroque style? Curator: Surreal is a lovely word for it. It's like a dream, isn't it? These prints weren't just about documenting reality. For Hondius and his audience, these classical ruins spoke of the grandeur of a past empire, a lost golden age that could fuel artistic and political ambition. The Baroque, you see, thrived on drama and emotional impact; what better stage than Rome's fallen monuments? Editor: That's fascinating! The drama is definitely there. The lines converging on the central tower almost make it feel unstable, despite being stone. Curator: Precisely! And what about the human figures? Dwarfed by the landscape, yet present. Perhaps we’re being prompted to reflect on the human condition amidst all this faded glory? Also, what do you make of the fact that the artist decided to show how they achieved the linear perspective on the top? Does it distract, or add an extra element of interest to the work? Editor: It's definitely thought-provoking. Showing his work like that adds another layer to the piece; he's not just depicting a scene, but revealing the process. I don't mind the choice; to me, it complements that idea that Baroque thrived on a kind of complexity, didn't it? Curator: Yes! What began as technical documentation evolved into something so much more resonant, with enduring allure! So the 'mistake' becomes a method. Perhaps art's greatest discoveries happen this way. Editor: It makes you wonder what future generations will make of our "mistakes" doesn’t it? Thanks, that’s been super interesting.