Aeneas draagt zijn vader uit Troje 1600 - 1669

Curator: Ludwig Büsinck created this print, titled "Aeneas draagt zijn vader uit Troje" sometime between 1600 and 1669, rendered as an etching. Editor: Wow, what a precarious situation rendered in swirling lines! My first thought? That’s got to be heavy! It looks like survival hinges on a father-son fireman’s carry from hell. Curator: Precisely. We see Aeneas, son of Venus, carrying his father Anchises out of the burning city of Troy. Anchises, though aged, carries the household gods, the Penates, thus saving not just his person but also the symbols of Troy's very essence, the cultural memory itself. It speaks to generational respect but also, and crucially, cultural continuity. Editor: Right! And see the kid tugging at Aeneas? It's like, “Hey, don’t forget me! I’m next for boarding!” There’s a whole saga compressed into this image, isn’t there? Is that supposed to be his son Ascanius? I can imagine all of that etching giving you a rather dramatic vibe with its baroque drama. It makes it pop off the page. Curator: Indeed it is Ascanius. Büsinck uses the figures of Aeneas, Anchises, and Ascanius to visualize both duty and destiny, virtues central to Roman identity, which he adopts from Virgil's Aeneid. The direction they travel is toward the establishment of a new, even more glorious empire, and it’s fascinating how he encapsulates that entire future in the midst of devastation. Editor: It’s kind of comforting to see this in print, in a weird way. I mean, the sheer chaos in the background, the burning city. I suppose there’s a sense that even amid collapse, certain values, like family, piety... even heirlooms… prevail? Curator: Certainly. While fire consumes one order, a new order is being carried on the back of Aeneas and clasped by the hand of his son. That speaks to a hope inherent in every act of preservation and legacy. It implies transformation arising out of great trauma, resonating across eras. Editor: This piece, for all its age, manages to feel really...present. I think the artist made very interesting and profound choices in depicting this particular scene. What is particularly compelling about the artwork and the theme being carried through that moment is just how compelling that singular snapshot is. Curator: A powerful story indeed, encapsulated in a fleeting, beautifully etched moment.