Maria met Kind en roos c. 1592 - 1622

Curator: Here at the Rijksmuseum we have "Maria met Kind en roos" by Vespasiano Strada, made around 1592 to 1622. It’s an engraving on laid paper. What are your first thoughts? Editor: My first impression is one of delicacy. The line work is so fine, especially in the clouds and the rendering of fabric. There’s almost a sense of precarity, even though it depicts such a traditional subject. Curator: The rose, of course, immediately speaks to a very loaded visual history. It appears frequently in depictions of the Virgin Mary and child. It often represents Mary’s love, but also foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice – think of the thorns, you see. Editor: I’m struck by the actual labor that went into this. To achieve that level of detail in an engraving must have taken incredible patience and skill. What would the cost of the materials have been at the time compared to, say, the engraver's wages? And who would have bought something like this? Curator: That’s an excellent question. These engravings would have circulated widely, to be sure, both amongst collectors and those of more modest means who desired devotional images. It reflects the enduring nature of faith expressed in the rise of printmaking, offering multiple affordably accessible originals. The imagery is immediately legible, which is a powerful connection. Editor: It’s interesting to consider this within the broader context of Italian Renaissance art. We often think of monumental frescoes or sculptures, but pieces like this reveal how that same visual language permeated daily life on a much smaller scale. The material conditions allowed the proliferation of the style and symbols across a wider audience. Curator: Exactly, that connection is the power of such an artwork! What endures through different cultures can often reveal what they share. Editor: Indeed. The material and social circumstances combined with enduring visual motifs makes for quite a resonant artifact.