Sketch for Title Page of the Neujahrsblatt vom Musiksaal, Zurich 1694 - 1704

Editor: Here we have Johannes Meyer the Younger's "Sketch for Title Page of the Neujahrsblatt vom Musiksaal, Zurich," created sometime between 1694 and 1704. It’s a pen drawing, seemingly intended for print. I'm struck by the juxtaposition of the weeping child and the landscape beyond. What layers do you see in this piece? Curator: It is interesting how the weeping child is centered. The tears point to a broader tradition where sadness can unexpectedly unlock deeper insight. Note the inscription "Versa est in Lachrymas"—"It has turned into tears." Can we consider how tears, in alchemy and religious thought, cleanse and transform? What does cultural memory suggest about grief’s ability to be generative? Editor: Generative, in what way? I wouldn’t immediately think of a weeping child as bringing forth creation. Curator: Consider the Baroque era’s preoccupation with transformation. The child, surrounded by musical instruments, is not simply sad. The weeping *is* the music, an expression channeled from deep within. It mirrors Zurich's own transformation. How did Meyer convey this visually? Is it simply a lament or something else? Editor: The detailed cityscape and turbulent waters do lend a sense of change and even disruption. Maybe the child isn't just sad, but overwhelmed? Perhaps change causes sadness. Curator: Exactly. Change inevitably causes feelings of loss and transformation is part of the journey. The city’s evolution mirrors a deeply personal emotional journey, suggesting an inner world mirroring a cultural one. Editor: Seeing it this way makes the image more complex. It highlights a connection between inner feeling and external progress. Curator: Symbols evolve and connect throughout cultures, just like the city that the drawing reflects! Editor: Thank you, it is such an inspiring notion. I'll certainly never look at a weeping figure quite the same way again.