Vrouw uit Scandinavië 1620 - 1664

Editor: So, here we have "Vrouw uit Scandinavië," or "Woman from Scandinavia," a print made sometime between 1620 and 1664 by Stefano della Bella. It's currently held at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes me is its almost card-like composition with that descriptive text at the bottom. How fascinating! It’s like a character in a play. What do you make of her? Curator: Yes, a playing card, an invitation, or maybe even a little geographical fairytale! I feel transported… back to a time when cartography was mixed with fantasy. This “woman” embodies Scandinavia, but not in any realistic way, does she? She is draped and grand, not exactly the Viking stereotype one might expect. Note the shield with three crowns; what do they suggest to you? Perhaps an alliance of kingdoms? Editor: Well, it's definitely a regal emblem of some kind. It's interesting how the text below almost grounds the figure. Suddenly, "Scandinavia" isn't just this allegorical figure but also a defined geographic space with specific cities. Curator: Exactly! It is about juxtaposing the concrete with the imaginative, which I find very human, isn’t it? Are we simply describing places or projecting ideas about them? What did "Scandinavia" represent to people back then? Distant lands filled with their own brand of mystery? I can almost smell the crisp Nordic air through those lines… can't you? Editor: You've made me think about how places can be more than just physical locations. There is always a layer of projected fantasy. It is as if maps are really poems! Curator: Indeed! Perhaps the best maps always are. Now, I can never simply read the label 'Scandinavia' without a vision of a shield maiden looming in the northern mists.