Plate 13: Gideon Choosing his Soldiers, from 'The Battles of the Old Testament' 1585 - 1615

Editor: We're looking at "Plate 13: Gideon Choosing his Soldiers" by Antonio Tempesta, made sometime between 1585 and 1615. It’s an etching, so it’s got all this incredible detail made up of tiny lines. The sheer number of figures is really striking – it feels chaotic, almost. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It's a bit like looking into a busy ant farm, isn't it? This print captures a really fascinating moment from the Old Testament. It’s teeming with bodies because it depicts Gideon strategically thinning the ranks. Can you imagine the pressure of trying to choose the right people for such a crucial task? Editor: Right, by how they lapped water, wasn't it? There’s so much going on, it’s hard to know where to focus. What’s drawing my eye are these individual moments. Curator: Exactly! And look at how Tempesta uses line and tone to differentiate the active soldiers from the inactive; light becomes symbolic. What’s your take on the scale, then, of the whole operation – the tiny men marching to battle way back in the distance? Editor: It does suggest this event has greater significance, the number of soldiers faded away into the horizon. A huge deal for the artist to illustrate, too. It makes the whole narrative feel even grander, bigger than life. I hadn’t thought about that before. Thanks! Curator: It’s funny, these Old Testament narratives always have an inherent drama. A sense of higher powers at play, guiding our choices. Gives you pause, doesn’t it?