Symmetrie en een man met de duivel Possibly 1540 - 1780

Editor: So, here we have "Symmetrie en een man met de duivel," which roughly translates to "Symmetry and a man with the devil." It's an engraving from somewhere between 1540 and 1780, and it’s currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. What I find immediately striking is the contrast: the clear, almost stoic figure of 'Symmetry' on one side, versus the chaotic, unsettling scene with what looks like a devil on the other. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, a fascinating diptych indeed! I see a world grappling with order and chaos, reason and temptation. The "Symmetry" figure, likely an allegory for mathematical precision and divine order, embodies Renaissance ideals. Her calm pose, her tools…she’s a guardian against the irrational. Then, that scene on the right—pure emotion and primordial struggle! A kind of history painting depicting Man and the Devil. It almost feels medieval in its rendering, doesn’t it? It is like a half-remembered dream… Do you get that sense of time crashing in on itself? Editor: Definitely! That almost dreamlike quality you mentioned makes that scene seem, not just chaotic, but timelessly so, contrasting against the firm structure of Symmetry's side. Curator: Exactly! I think this tension *is* the artwork. Consider what “devils” represented then: unreason, unchecked desire, fear of the unknown… things to be measured and constrained by enlightenment ideals! I also love how that skull right there in the frame of this story contributes to this grim vision. Is she winning or is she next? That’s the lingering question for me. What is our responsibility facing dark times? Editor: I’d not really considered the historic background of temptation! Viewing these contrasts between rationality and the devil's chaotic power seems key here. Curator: It certainly deepens the piece! These historical items offer so much richness, especially as times seem more challenging. It makes one reflect... Editor: For sure. Now it gives food for thought in troubling times. Thank you!