Cupido breekt zijn boog 1648 - 1663

Curator: This is Anton van der Borcht’s "Cupido breekt zijn boog," a pen and ink drawing created sometime between 1648 and 1663. Editor: The broken lines create a palpable tension in this otherwise delicate drawing. I sense a feeling of melancholy, almost disillusionment, permeating the scene. Curator: Absolutely. We're seeing Cupid at a moment of profound reassessment. Consider the period it was made. The mid-17th century was rife with shifting societal values, challenging established ideas about love and power. Editor: Note how van der Borcht employs dense cross-hatching to render depth, particularly in the rocks and the drapery, drawing attention to the physicality of the allegorical scene. It’s quite self-aware, as if drawing attention to the artwork’s artifice. Curator: Indeed, it's as if van der Borcht is dismantling the traditional image of Cupid, stripping him of his weapon, literally deconstructing the power dynamics inherent in the mythology of love. And this deconstruction, in turn, reflects broader questions concerning societal and political structures of the time. How can these seemingly childish figures be so telling? Editor: In semiotic terms, the broken bow isn't merely an object but a signifier. The viewer's reading and decoding complete the sign. Curator: Van der Borcht invites the viewer to grapple with the consequences of breaking free from predetermined narratives. Who defines the mythology of love, and on whose behalf is that mythology created? These questions speak directly to contemporary intersectional dialogues. Editor: It does leave a rather lingering impression, doesn't it? I appreciate how van der Borcht utilizes such precise lines to evoke these rather complicated concepts. Curator: A perfect blend of art history and modern questioning, reminding us that even seemingly simple images can contain profound reflections of the world.