Christus slaapt tijdens een storm op zee 1590 - 1622

Editor: So, here we have "Christ Asleep During the Storm on the Sea" by Boëtius Adamsz. Bolswert, made sometime between 1590 and 1622. It's an engraving, quite dramatic! The detail is incredible for its size, but the chaos of the scene is what really grabs me. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, chaos and calm interwoven! I feel the drama you speak of; the boat tossed by monstrous waves, the disciples wrestling with the storm… But my eye is drawn to the placid figure of Christ, asleep in the midst of it all. Doesn't that juxtaposition just shout of faith, of inner peace amidst the tempest of life? It's a powerful, almost theatrical rendering of the biblical story, wouldn't you say? It begs the question, doesn’t it: where do *we* find our calm when the waves crash? Editor: I guess I was so caught up in the action that I missed the stillness in Christ. Thinking about the "where do *we* find our calm" bit...maybe the crowd is on land to reach that stillness? Curator: Possibly... Maybe Bolswert subtly used that distant gathering on land, rendered in miniature, to symbolize humanity reaching towards solace? I find this piece endlessly evocative of humanity’s continuous strife for balance against opposing forces...both external and within ourselves. Thank you for highlighting your 'chaos and calm' reading... Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to consider, thanks.