Stier aangevallen door honden after 1790

Curator: The focus of this image, an engraving called "Bull Attacked by Dogs" from after 1790, seems to be violence and spectacle, what do you observe? Editor: It's striking how dynamic it is for a print. You see the bull tossing a figure, the dogs in mid-lunge... It feels incredibly dramatic. What strikes you most about it? Curator: I’m particularly interested in the means of production, and how an image like this circulated. Who was the intended audience, and how did the engraver's labor translate the drama of a bullfight into a commodity? This isn't just about aesthetic representation, it's about the systems of patronage and consumption that supported this kind of artwork. Do you notice how the linear quality is really well executed here? Editor: Yes, the line work creates the illusion of movement really well, especially for an engraving. I’m wondering though, were prints like this purely for entertainment? Curator: Not entirely. The violence might be titillating, but think about the context: the ritualistic spectacle of the bullfight, the social hierarchies reinforced by it, the economic networks sustaining it. An image like this allows the upper class to revere a practice that relies on lower class people. We see how "high art" isn’t detached from brutal realities or production that required great effort. What do you think the symbolism suggests? Editor: That’s fascinating, I hadn't thought about it that way. I guess seeing the artwork framed as an item of consumer culture is challenging. Curator: It forces us to confront how art reflects and perpetuates societal structures and also consider who had access to these images. I guess that the labor, materials, and underlying economics cannot be disregarded. What have you found to be of value in our reflection about this print? Editor: I'll definitely be thinking more critically about the means of production and the social context. Curator: And hopefully, this way of looking will open further possibilities of analysis for your experience.