Stierengevecht 1578

Curator: Oh, the flurry of it all! I am instantly transported back to a brutal afternoon. Editor: Well said. What we are looking at is "Stierengevecht," or "Bullfight" by Philips Galle, an engraving dating back to 1578. Its current home is here at the Rijksmuseum. A lot to unpack here... Curator: A violent dance! A tragic, testosterone-fueled pas de deux. There's something so raw in its depiction, despite the clean lines. All the action crammed together reminds me of a Hieronymus Bosch painting in hell. It's really wild how they packed all these characters in there to give us the intensity. Editor: Exactly, Galle used a baroque style typical for his time to fill the space with elements. You'll notice he clearly prioritized the elite as subjects of the spectacle over the bulls. Consider how the labor, time, and social structures that made possible both the production of the print, itself a kind of "reproducible commodity," and of course the depicted scene, rely on exploiting animals and humans. I mean, even the *dogs* get in on the violence. Curator: Yes, but that's also, in some ways, just an honest portrayal. Look how each figure, frozen in time by Galle's hand, tells a mini-story of violence, fear, and power. Those helpless folks trapped under the raging bull must have seen things very differently that the lords in attendance at this aristocratic entertainment. Editor: A pointed comment on privilege for sure. Now look more closely at the use of engraving: How each line meticulously etched into the metal plate creates textures, depth, and captures motion… the bull’s raw power in contrast with the elegance of the horseback riders. Curator: Oh, and how those precise lines simultaneously build and fracture the narrative! There’s such a chaos conveyed by a steady hand. Irony in the craftsmanship. I also love that galle included a crowd of voyeurs at the background of the engraving - not a seat to spare, everybody wants to participate, or at least bear witness. It speaks to this odd allure that spectacles of violence have for us. Editor: You've picked up on the most salient feature. And speaking of violence, how this work has, in a sense, kept this spectacle alive, propagating that violence far beyond its temporal limits? Curator: What do you take from it as you leave the work, then? Editor: Well, seeing art isn't innocent; and the seemingly neutral technologies by which art is recorded and distributed further disseminate loaded subject matter into society. A call to awareness. And you? Curator: Well, I shall be avoiding all rodeos and bullfights, I will keep the dance at a safe distance from now on. Thanks, Philip.