Roeping van Petrus en Andreas Possibly 1523 - 1530

Editor: This engraving, "The Calling of Peter and Andrew" by Dirck Vellert, probably dates from between 1523 and 1530. I'm struck by how incredibly detailed it is for a print – look at the waves! They almost feel alive. What is your interpretation of the scene? Curator: Well, isn't it fascinating? It's not just detail, but the way Vellert has grounded the biblical story in what looks like a familiar 16th-century Flemish landscape. A bit like dropping the New Testament into your own backyard, eh? Are Peter and Andrew as exotic fishermen in that context, or rather everyday guys answering an extraordinary call? Editor: I guess everyday. I see what you mean. That landscape kind of domesticates the scene. Curator: Precisely! The contrast is delicious. And note Christ's figure; simultaneously monumental and strangely…gentle. What is more awe-inspiring: his physical form, or the quiet assuredness of that gesture towards the fishermen? Vellert does so much with a simple line. He coveys texture, emotion... Do you get a sense of impending change as well? Editor: Definitely, especially from the way the water is kind of churning around their boat. Curator: Exactly! The visual restlessness in that water anticipates upheaval. Maybe that quiet domesticity is about to be turned upside down, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Absolutely. It makes me see how the ordinary can become extraordinary in a single moment. Curator: Yes! That's the delicious subversiveness that draws me back to this seemingly simple image time and again. Art doing what art should do: opening eyes to possibilities.