Twee engelen tegenover elkaar 1622 - 1652

Curator: What a peculiar sense of confrontation this engraving evokes. Two cherubs stand posed, nearly mirrored, in this piece, titled "Two Angels Facing Each Other." Editor: I find that compelling. There is such palpable tension despite the traditionally peaceful nature of angels. Is it from the implied symmetrical threat, the negative space between them? They feel ready to scuffle, somehow… Curator: The artist, Pieter van Avont, likely completed this piece sometime between 1622 and 1652. It’s currently held here at the Rijksmuseum. I find the stark use of the engraving medium amplifies that tension you sensed. These angels, symbols of love and divine guidance, are reduced to linear forms, almost like diagrams. Editor: It's interesting, the baroque sensuality, that almost chubby roundness of the bodies rendered in such a crisp, almost clinical way. I’m immediately struck by their gaze, how their eyes are fixed downward. It makes me wonder if this is not simply conflict, but perhaps even shame. A fallen grace of sorts. Curator: A very perceptive point. Consider the traditional symbolism of angels; messengers of the divine, bearers of good news. Their averted gaze could suggest a withdrawal from that role, a silent rebellion perhaps. It forces us to reconsider our assumptions about these figures of purity and innocence. Could it be van Avont’s visual commentary about the social structures of morality in a time that was changing, in times of war? Editor: It speaks to how symbols evolve in the cultural imagination. Here, the very image of the angel is imbued with internal struggle, complicating our expectations. It invites us to question easy readings of virtue and vice. Curator: Indeed. These aren’t the fluffy, sentimental cherubs we often encounter. Van Avont's figures demand that we reckon with the inherent contradictions of idealized beings. Editor: So, this initially off-putting drawing, for me, becomes deeply intriguing with layers that disrupt ingrained understanding of traditional ideals. Curator: Exactly, isn’t it wonderful when art can do that? Question our very perception, isn’t it.