Blaasinstrument before 1828

Editor: Here we have "Blaasinstrument" or "Wind Instrument", created before 1828 by Pierre Félix van Doren, rendered in pencil, ink, and drawing on paper. It’s understated, almost fragile in its linework. What do you make of it? Curator: It whispers elegance, doesn't it? The circular frame gives me a sense of unity, as if all sounds originate from a single source, or are destined to return to it. Perhaps van Doren was contemplating the nature of sound itself? The flowing ribbons juxtaposed with the instruments’ precise lines… what does that evoke for you? Editor: A contrast, maybe? The ribbons are free, airy, whereas the instruments are structured, deliberate. It makes me think of the tension between improvisation and composition in music. Curator: Exactly! Music needs both structure and freedom to truly sing. Van Doren seemed to suggest the music itself cannot truly 'take off' without those decorations that may simply be decorative flair for a royal banner; do you suppose that such objects, hanging around the performance spaces of instruments, feed into our impressions? The light touch with the pencil work also suggests a dreamlike quality, don't you think? Editor: Absolutely. It's not just a straightforward depiction, it's tinged with...nostalgia, maybe? Almost like a memory of music rather than the music itself. I didn't realize it until now, but it's like remembering seeing it represented more than having heard the musical instruments themselves! Curator: Perhaps for van Doren himself, creating such images of representations, WAS a musical outlet. It really strikes a chord with that personal reflection of art's creation, and of music. Editor: I love that thought, the art as the sound and emotion itself! I will never hear this sort of music the same again.