The Procuress: An Old Woman, a Soldier, and a Woman
Original title: The procuress: an old woman, a soldier, and a woman
kurzbeschreibung
Renier Persyn's engraving "The Procuress" dates from between 1635 and 1668 and presents three figures in half-length view: an old woman, a soldier, and a younger woman. The print survives in its second state of two; the trimmed plate measures 18.8 × 22.6 cm.
Description
The three figures line up horizontally. On the left stands the old woman in plain clothing and a head covering; in the middle, the soldier in armor with a gun; on the right, the younger woman in elegant dress with curly hair. Black and white, with no noticeable shadows, the lighting remains even. French inscriptions below the figures give names and brief descriptions or dialogues.
Context
Persyn, a Dutch engraver of the first half of the 17th century, took up a motif common at the time: the procuress harks back to biblical and moralizing pictorial traditions. This print appeared in an era when printmaking flourished in the Netherlands and catered to a broad market. Its survival in the second state points to a reworked plate, likely for a new edition.
Impact
The scene's calm, almost familiar tone emerges only gradually as the eye moves from one figure to the next. The even lighting and clear layout give the print a matter-of-fact, documentary air, which emphasizes rather than softens the moralizing content of the subject. Nothing demands attention, and precisely for that reason the viewer's focus lingers on the three figures.
Technique
The engraving was printed in black and white. Precise lines and carefully executed details reveal the engraver's high skill. The second state suggests subsequent reworking of the printing plate.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)