Allegorie op het derde eeuwfeest van de Fondation de l'Université de Basle 1760

Curator: Well, what a find! We're looking at an engraving titled "Allegory on the Third Centennial of the University of Basel," crafted in 1760 by Christian von Mechel. It's quite the piece to behold! Editor: My first impression? Stately, undeniably so. It’s also…static. A scene caught mid-gesture, almost like an elaborate stage production. But those crisp lines are something! Curator: It does have that staged quality, doesn’t it? Mechel was a master of detail, bringing the scene to life through those intricate lines. The engraving, true to Baroque style, is about layering meaning. The figures represent allegorical virtues, nodding to Basel's rich intellectual history. The central monument… It’s got a stoic, historical presence. Editor: That obelisk acts as a strong vertical anchor. You're immediately drawn up toward that medallion portrait—presumably a founder of the University? Then your eye traces downward, pulled into the exchange between those robed figures. Is that meant to be some kind of treaty or academic charter? Curator: Something akin, perhaps. It's classical-realism mixed with the baroque flair for grand statements. Note the almost theatrical framing of the figures with that languid chap in the lower left corner, and the small group with horns on the right - music, probably harmony - he adds a wistful note, as if to say, "Even I am part of this great celebration." It almost feels a bit self-aware to me, the work itself a celebration *of* allegory, more so than an urgent statement. What do you feel it represents? Editor: Yes! It represents visual order. All the detail contributes to this harmony: From the crisp foreground figures back to the city's spires sketched in the distance, this meticulous depth-of-field is the ultimate appeal of Baroque artistry, and Mechel brings his fine rendering and attention to detail as evidence of his formal artistry. Curator: Precisely! What resonates most, at least for me, is the playful combination of precision and flamboyance, offering us a glimpse into Basel’s moment of self-congratulatory grandeur in the 18th century. It is all quite interesting. Editor: Agreed. It makes you think about how institutions want to present themselves.