Ambiguous story

The band of vertical lines constitute, then, the threshold between these two spaces, or worlds. The straight, rectangular door contrasts with the curve of the curtain before it, on its right. That curtain separates the two spaces: hers and his; her intimate, inner space, and his not-belonging, his wish to get out. As a composition, this is very beautifully balanced. From bottom-right to top-left: phallic bedpost, crumpled bedding, curved curtain, straight door, outside world; it works perfectly as a visual itinerary.

The effects of the black-and-white add to this: from strong dark portions to lighter ones. This, too, has ideological effects. The sleeping quarters are dark, standing for danger and maliciousness; for all that is forbidden. The light portions, then, symbolize the young man’s wish to stay righteous, pure, to not giving in to lust; obedience to the fathers: the husband as well as his own god. Thomas Mann writes this explicitly;

Rembrandt, more modestly and subtly, scratches on his copper plate the lines that create this complex, ambiguous story in which each protagonist pursues her and his own goal.

Follow the link below for another Joseph etching...