Zittend naakt uit de Sixtijnse kapel. 1551

Curator: This is Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert's "Zittend naakt uit de Sixtijnse kapel," made around 1551. Editor: My first impression is one of admiration for the artist's technique, that must have taken an immense amount of skill to achieve! All those carefully etched lines! It must have been physically demanding work. Curator: Absolutely, and consider its historical context. This engraving grants access to art that, at the time, only those who could visit the Sistine Chapel would have seen. Prints democratized art, bringing classical ideals to a wider audience. Editor: Precisely. What materials were used for the original model? The smoothness of the engraving suggests marble or plaster. And I am very interested in where they got these raw materials... Who was mining these? Under what conditions? Curator: It is hard to know all the information of these images. The interesting thing, from an art historical view point, is how Coornhert interprets Michelangelo's figures, adapting Italian Renaissance ideals for a Northern European audience, a move that can also been seen in Hendrick Goltzius works. Editor: It is incredible the control this artists exerted over these plates, almost breathing life into something solid and static by pushing what his tools were capable of! Curator: Exactly! Engravings like these played a pivotal role in disseminating artistic ideas and styles. These weren't merely copies; they were interpretations contributing to the evolving visual culture. Editor: Yes, I do see your point, the craftmanship allowed wider audiences to see what, up until then, had been privy only for elites. In the end we need more historical studies to discover what impact did they have on the imaginary and lifestyle of those masses... Curator: Looking at this again now, I’m newly impressed by the dialogues these images create across time periods and styles. Editor: Yes, thinking of the time and work it took for such impressive end result gives one something to consider for sure.