Trots van Romulus 1659

Curator: First impressions? I find this engraving incredibly theatrical! The central figure looks like he's stepped right out of a play. Editor: That's it exactly! It has this grandeur that completely engulfs you. We're looking at "Pride of Romulus," an engraving crafted in 1659 by Louis de Châtillon, currently held in the Rijksmuseum collection. What draws you in, precisely, about that theatricality? Curator: It’s in the way everything is staged—the imposing architecture, the ranks of soldiers behind Romulus. It is framed by theatrical masks along the top border and lush decoration around the lower inscription panel. It's almost as if the print itself is a stage set. What does that inscription tell us, then? Editor: It highlights the perils of arrogance, the ephemerality of glory: "ex eventu secundis superbia". What fascinates me is Châtillon’s adept use of light and shadow; how these dramatic chiaroscuro effects define form, adding dynamism to an essentially static medium. Notice especially the tonal variations that articulate the muscular tension of the figures, making it an undeniably baroque image. Curator: I love that! The print seems to ponder the burden of leadership and the constant awareness of being on display! It whispers stories of power but also hints at its inherent dangers... there's real humanity behind the swagger. I'm thinking of Orson Welles looming large as Kane, you know? Editor: Absolutely! And I see those classical illusions informing not just content, but form! In "Pride of Romulus," even in print, there's something epic! It's history not just represented, but enacted! I can't think of a better reason to contemplate the past and its echoes into the present.