Odysseus neemt afscheid van Alcinoüs 1632 - 1633

Editor: So, this engraving by Theodoor van Thulden, dating back to 1632-1633, is titled "Odysseus Taking Leave of Alcinous." It's incredibly detailed, even for such a small piece, and quite dramatic! What story do you think it's trying to tell, and how does it speak to us today? Curator: Ah, yes, a fond farewell indeed. You see it's not just lines etched into metal, but a captured breath, a lingering gaze frozen in time. It whispers of departures, Editor – Odysseus leaving the haven of Alcinous. The Baroque style gives us such an emotional scene, doesn't it? Almost theatrical. What does the image make *you* feel, just on a gut level? Editor: I definitely feel a sense of melancholy, maybe even a bit of foreboding with the dark hatching surrounding the characters in the front right. But also, determination as he boards that boat on the left with the women, who appear to be shielding him. I hadn't even considered what the shading added! What stands out to you beyond that, considering it’s a story about Odysseus? Curator: Note how Alcinous almost clings to Odysseus! It seems the figures really do not want him to go! There’s this poignant tension that vibrates. Now, thinking about Odysseus himself, it might be argued that every goodbye holds the bittersweet promise of a new beginning. Doesn’t this print offer a meditation on our own journeys and departures? Editor: It absolutely does! I love the way you framed that, I had only been considering the engraving on face value without projecting myself into the character. It also seems so relevant to me when so much of baroque painting seems untouchable and separate. I guess that's why it continues to stay in museums today! Curator: Precisely! I feel this engraving asks us to find ourselves, again and again, in these timeless narratives. And perhaps, that’s why art endures!