Vignet met Poëzie met lier en zwaan in landschap met omlijsting 1727 - 1793

Curator: This delicate engraving, held here at the Rijksmuseum, is titled "Vignet met Poëzie met lier en zwaan in landschap met omlijsting," created sometime between 1727 and 1793 by Leendert Brasser. It is a very evocative piece! Editor: It is! My first impression is one of restrained yearning. It's got that Baroque elegance, but a slightly melancholic atmosphere too, like a poet longing for inspiration. And is that a swan?! Curator: Absolutely. The swan, often a symbol of grace and purity, is directly associated with the figure playing the lyre, a personification of Poetry herself, or perhaps even Apollo, her divine patron. Editor: I love the juxtaposition! You have the cultivated world, symbolized by the musician and the classically-inspired architecture behind her, versus the natural world embodied by the swan and the flowing landscape. Is she serenading it or competing with it? Curator: That's an intriguing point. Remember, this is also an allegory. The ribbon unfurled at the bottom bears the inscription "STUDIUM SCIENTIARUM GENITRIX" --study is the mother of science, and by extension, perhaps all art and learning. This image reminds us of the natural world as a cradle of scientific thought. Editor: Ah, so the swan, as a creature of nature, is linked to scientific observation and inspiration. The woman’s music is about elevating those scientific observations, a meeting of art and science. And that ornate frame, adorned with garlands... a boundary or a bridge? Curator: Both, I believe. The frame emphasizes the artwork's carefully constructed nature. It's containing that powerful natural world, but, at the same time, celebrating its beauty. Everything points back to poetry as a means to process this. Editor: So true! It’s that perfect little moment. It almost feels frozen in time, like a beautiful little dream someone had, printed in permanence. Curator: That's a very fitting description. It seems Brasser was reminding his audience that even the most carefully constructed art should always be rooted in an understanding of the world around them. Editor: What a delicious little reminder to take away! I may never look at swans the same way again.