Allegorische omlijsting 1650 - 1695

Editor: Here we have "Allegorische omlijsting," or "Allegorical border" created between 1650 and 1695 by Gaspar Bouttats, currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. It’s a print – an engraving – and the first thing that strikes me is how dynamic and dramatic it is. The figures look like they're bursting out of the frame. I’m curious, what do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, it pulls you right in, doesn't it? Bouttats really knew how to work drama. It feels very much of its time - like peering into a fever dream of the late Baroque, all swirling energy and theatrical flair. Those hulking figures pushing the doors...are they liberating something or are they trying to contain it? What's your take on those serpents at the bottom? A menagerie of defeated symbolism? Editor: That's a great point! I hadn’t really thought of them as defeated. Maybe they are symbols of chaos and disruption? What about the empty oval shape in the center, where the action should be? Curator: The void. *That* is the magic. What would you place in there, given the chance? Another scene? Or maybe a reflection of yourself, the viewer? This was the age of emblems and riddles—Bouttats likely intended the buyer to personalize the image. And this makes me think: is the action within the frame more relevant than the void itself? Editor: Wow, I hadn't considered that before. I suppose it becomes interactive in a way. Curator: Exactly. The point, if I were to guess, lies in the participation, the engagement. You are almost invited to write yourself into its story. Now, I find it truly delightful. Editor: That gives me a completely different perspective on this print. It's not just a decorative border; it's an invitation. I'll never look at it the same way again!