Engel en kind zingen en musiceren in landschap 1590 - 1624

Editor: Here we have "Engel en kind zingen en musiceren in landschap," an engraving by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert, created sometime between 1590 and 1624. The cherubic figures and the soft landscape evoke a gentle, almost dreamlike state. What symbols do you notice that really stand out to you? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the implied tension between the earthly setting and the figures’ celestial nature. Note the text, "Quomodo cantabimus canticum Domini, in terra aliena?" How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? The figures, though angelic, are placed within a very palpable landscape, suggesting a complex relationship between the divine and the mundane. Editor: So the landscape isn't just a backdrop. Curator: Precisely. Landscapes during this period often carried symbolic weight. Are they in paradise or a wilderness? Also consider the musical instruments. Music, of course, is associated with harmony and the heavens, but the presence of these earthly instruments— are they meant to bridge a gap? How might music function as a shared language in this "foreign land"? Editor: That makes me think about how often music shows up during transitional times. Is there a connection between these angels being exiled, and singing with their instruments as an act of belonging and cultural memory? Curator: An astute observation. Consider also how the child angel is bathed in light, a common visual symbol for divine presence, while the adult figure seems less so. Are they both angels or is one human? The light might represent a kind of hope or guidance within this “foreign land,” carried forth through generations. What might the choice of figures imply? Editor: I hadn’t considered the figures in that way. Looking at it again, I can see the nuanced tension you’re describing. Thank you, that gave me a lot to consider about this print!