Jozefs zilveren beker wordt in de zak van Benjamin gevonden 1549 - 1550

Curator: Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert created this engraving, “Joseph’s Silver Cup is Found in Benjamin’s Sack,” around 1549 or 1550. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. What strikes you initially about this piece? Editor: The stark contrasts of light and shadow grab me. It feels very theatrical, like a stage play unfolding with the spotlight hitting young Benjamin as the focus of suspicion. Curator: The composition is indeed dramatic. Coornhert masterfully uses line to build form and texture. Consider the layers upon layers that illustrate tension and the emotional weight of the moment when the cup is discovered. You can practically feel Benjamin’s panic. Editor: Right, but also consider the physicality of this object as an engraving, each line etched meticulously, multiplied and distributed, the labour embedded in its existence. We have this narrative scene circulated thanks to the mechanization of print. And think about where the paper was made, the inks... Curator: True, and don’t you feel transported by the image itself? The textures, the faces. The man's hat on the left; to me, it looks very modern in this classical setting. There’s a sense of timelessness that touches on universal themes of betrayal and forgiveness. Editor: Absolutely. The act of creating and circulating this piece – those themes of power, trade, and artistic exchange – ripple through its materiality, its historical place, and our present gaze upon it. Each stage, from the mining of the metal used to produce this artwork, carries significant weight. Curator: That’s beautifully put. It just goes to show that looking closely reveals so much. I keep finding new layers here. Editor: Yes, understanding the labour, and value involved, offers new avenues of insight. Thank you for the image description!