Percy en Lady Percy in gesprek 1785

Daniel Chodowiecki etched this print, "Percy en Lady Percy in gesprek," capturing a moment of conversation. Note the candles, a concentrated light source that throws symbolic shadows and highlights the figures, drawing our attention to the silent dialogue between the two figures, and the intimate setting they are in. Light as knowledge, or light as divinity can be traced back to ancient Zoroastrianism, and reappears across artworks through history. Consider Caravaggio's dramatic use of light to illuminate religious experiences, or the soft, guiding glow in Rembrandt's portraits. Here, the candles not only light the scene but imbue it with a sense of anticipation, almost as though they symbolize hope. In these gatherings, where light and shadow dance together, viewers are subconsciously drawn to the drama of human exchange. The candlelight becomes a silent witness to the eternal dance of human interaction.