Monnik met een gevederde hoed Possibly 1670 - 1724

Curator: Wow, that's…intense. It's like a train wreck, I can't look away! There's something deeply unsettling, yet strangely humorous about it. Editor: Indeed. What we're observing here is Jacob Gole's "Monnik met een gevederde hoed"—or "Monk with a feathered hat," an engraving dating possibly from 1670 to 1724. It currently resides in the Rijksmuseum. The figure is framed within a tondo format, immediately drawing attention to the concentrated detail of the face. Curator: A feathered hat, huh? More like feathered madman! It's a caricature, right? The exaggerated features—the bulging eyes, that gaping maw, and, ugh, that tongue... It feels like a jab at religious hypocrisy. He is a disrobed monk after all. Editor: Precisely. The grotesque figuration, rendered with sharp, linear precision, contributes to its caricatured effect. Note how the line work, particularly around the eyes and mouth, emphasizes the raw emotionality, which appears as both distress and a form of liberation. Curator: Liberation maybe, or is it just pure disgust. Look at the text at the bottom, it mentions horror at what they practice in the monastery and that devotions are only politics. And yes, there is that tension; is it grotesque comedy, or social commentary. It's right on the edge! And the detail for such an old engraving—I'm seeing every wrinkle, every loose thread. What was the world like when someone thought, "Yes, let's create this lovely thing!"? Editor: The quality of the lines defines the emotional terrain, where cross-hatching generates shading that heightens the volume. As you mentioned before the hat acts as both a status marker and comedic element, emphasizing the disjunction between societal expectation and individual behavior. This kind of work reflects the broader Baroque interest in psychological realism and social critique. Curator: Well, Jacob Gole, you certainly made a statement. Whether that statement is "Religion is ridiculous" or "People are ridiculous," or both, it stuck around and speaks to us across the centuries. Editor: It does. "Monnik met een gevederde hoed" isn’t just a depiction; it’s an indictment— a reminder that even the seemingly pious are subject to scrutiny. A very curious little artifact.