Maart 1722 - 1784

Curator: This month’s print from the Rijksmuseum, simply titled "Maart," dates from somewhere between 1722 and 1784, and is by Simon Fokke. Editor: It immediately evokes a stark and unforgiving scene. The linear precision, the stark contrasts—it almost feels like witnessing a storm brewing. Curator: The artist’s control over line is certainly striking. Notice how the density of lines varies to create tonal shifts, constructing depth within what could have been a very flat plane. The etching technique, with its precise execution, adds to this overall impression of... intentionality. Editor: I find that intention particularly powerful when I consider it in the context of maritime symbols. Water here could represent chaos or the unconscious, with that listing ship perhaps embodying a venture in danger of capsizing. And then we see those figures in the foreground struggling, hauling in nets... Curator: Their efforts bring to mind Sisyphus, forever condemned. But considered formally, the scene is beautifully structured. The strong vertical of the aged, barren tree on the right—a direct contrast to the dynamic angle of the struggling ship, creating visual tension. The eye is led from one area to the other by the mesh of fishing nets, in the lower portion of the image. Editor: Yes, those recurring net motifs draw our focus. Fishing nets often appear across cultures—they could mean that resources are strained, that you have to struggle to capture fortune from the sea. It almost echoes our need to make meaning from chaos. Curator: Or consider it as a compositional choice to use repeated forms—in this case the recurring mesh motif—to solidify the work's structure, creating a visual rhythm that unifies disparate elements. It serves as both image and structure. Editor: Whether we interpret this piece through form or narrative, its persistent imagery certainly leaves its mark. Curator: Indeed. Its clear, delineated structure supports layers of interpretation.