Vrouw met minnaar in het atelier van haar man 1694 - 1755

Editor: We are looking at "Vrouw met minnaar in het atelier van haar man" an engraving by Nicolas de (III) Larmessin dating from 1694 to 1755. There is so much activity and implied drama compressed in monochrome. How would you start decoding it from a formalist's lens? Curator: First, observe how the composition divides the scene—a clear horizontal emphasis defined by the model's body and the lines of the bed. Notice the visual tension established by contrasting the model's luminous, curved flesh against the stark, angular architecture of the artist's studio. Semiotically, the model is drawing on her back - literally and figuratively - on top of the husband's art. It's a clear representation of power dynamics and class structures within that time. The bed with the curtains framing her serves as another kind of structure -- framing the woman as more valuable and treasured than other parts of the studio. Editor: That reading feels right -- the geometric shapes and horizontal division of the model and the studio underscore a dynamic. And this relates to gender as well? Curator: Precisely. The linear, almost clinical precision of the engraving lends an intellectual, rather than sensual, reading of the female form. It objectifies it for aesthetic contemplation while embedding it in a narrative rife with moral tension. Ask yourself, does the artist want us to see beauty or corruption or maybe both? Editor: It really challenges you to engage. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. I hope it has been enlightening.