Wetten 1768 - 1771

Editor: We’re looking at Jean Charles Delafosse’s print titled "Wetten" dating from 1768 to 1771, currently held in the Rijksmuseum. It’s an engraving on paper, depicting architectural ornamentation. It feels very austere and... well, constructed. How do you interpret this work through a Formalist lens? Curator: A fine choice. Initially, one observes the artist’s manipulation of line and form to construct this architectural design. The composition reveals a deliberate interplay between rectangular blocks and curvilinear embellishments, a tension of oppositions creating visual interest. Note the meticulous detail in the rendering of each element. Editor: The textures seem very controlled. Is it about an expression of pure geometry? Curator: Consider the formal properties; the precise linear perspective generates an illusion of depth within a flattened plane. What does the superimposition of circular, semi-circular, and rectilinear shapes evoke? Is it possible that we are looking at the interplay between idealism and structural foundations? Editor: I see the contrast, the idealized circular forms versus those rectangular grounding shapes you mention. The perfect shapes are built on the mundane. Curator: Precisely! Notice how light and shadow are handled merely to define shapes rather than to evoke atmosphere or mood, redirecting our focus towards the composition's structure, its inner essence. The subject itself, whilst representational, only serves as a framework upon which the artist explores those pure aesthetic qualities. What is the relationship between architectural rendering, geometrical rendering, and aesthetic qualities? Editor: So, for Delafosse, the architectural ornamentation is secondary. Its fundamental qualities of form, line, and contrast, become primary? It's like architecture is just a pretext for playing with abstract elements. Thank you; that's very helpful in seeing past the immediate representation! Curator: Indeed! And by understanding this we have learned to discern, perhaps, something much greater.