Engel 1963

Curator: Welcome. We are looking at Aat Verhoog’s “Engel,” created in 1963. The work, housed here at the Rijksmuseum, is an engraving that employs themes of eroticism and figuration. Editor: Well, it's certainly unsettling. The immediate impact is one of… distortion, I suppose. The coarse texture, the crude representation of figures – it feels intentionally grotesque. Curator: Let’s consider the application of grotesque elements within Verhoog's larger artistic milieu. Verhoog's choice to represent the figures with such rawness could be viewed as a critical statement. Think of the period— the rise of mass media, and shifting cultural values. The figures seem stripped of their ideal, conventional forms. Editor: Interesting point. Formally, observe how the artist uses the stark contrast between the densely worked areas and the almost blank space, which directs our focus. The central female figure dominates—her wings are more like vestiges, non-functional appendages that enhance this unsettling dynamic between strength and vulnerability. Curator: Indeed. The work appears against a background reminiscent of roughly textured walls, enhancing its imposing presence. The fishnet stockings introduce a layer of social critique – questioning notions of morality, specifically those imposed on the image of a female within art. This echoes movements around female objectification and representation happening during the mid-20th century. Editor: Agreed, and note also that placement and sizing of that smaller, emaciated-looking male figure beside her. In my mind, this accentuates this interplay between the power dynamic. I think there's a deeper dialogue happening here surrounding ideas of control. Curator: We might then surmise the distorted scale of the "angel" as a commentary on social power and erotic representation, subverting traditional expectations, thus critiquing society’s aesthetic and ethical foundations during that epoch. It all is in that raw, disquieting aesthetic, wouldn’t you say? Editor: Precisely, its impact goes far beyond mere subject matter. I will be pondering the work and those questions for sometime to come. Curator: A fitting close on a fascinating piece; this exploration only begins to touch upon the complexities embedded within “Engel”. Thank you.