Vrijend paar wordt gezien door een non 1608

Jacob van der Heyden created this engraving, "A Kissing Couple Seen by a Nun," around the turn of the 17th century. The composition is neatly divided, both thematically and formally, into two distinct halves. The left side bursts with life, depicting a couple locked in an embrace beneath a tree, a discarded sword suggesting a pause from worldly affairs. The density of the lines creates a rich, textured surface, drawing our eye to the intimate scene. In stark contrast, the right side presents a muted, contemplative figure of a nun against a serene landscape. Here, the engraving is sparser, the lines more delicate, evoking a sense of stillness and reflection. The division isn’t just visual, it is a carefully constructed dialogue between earthly love and spiritual devotion, challenging the viewer to consider the boundaries and intersections between these realms.