Allegory of the Choleric Temperament 1583

Editor: So, this is Maarten de Vos's "Allegory of the Choleric Temperament," created around 1583. It's a drawing using ink on paper and it’s quite striking. I’m immediately drawn to the detailed linework and the dynamic composition. How do you see this work, especially considering it represents the choleric temperament? Curator: Considering a materialist approach, I look at the production itself. De Vos used ink, a readily available material, reflecting the growing print culture of the time. Note how the line becomes almost aggressive in places. The *Allegory* becomes about a transfer of skills; de Vos uses the symbolic language, in service of an elite ideal but does so using reproducible media that bring these narratives down the economic ladder. Can we call it dissemination of power? Is that choleric in itself? Editor: That’s a fascinating perspective. I hadn't thought about the material choice being a democratizing element in contrast with the content being somewhat elitist. Does that tension between material and subject matter define Mannerist works like this one? Curator: I’d argue that's where a great deal of the "manner" comes from. The paper supports a history painting style, but this medium—ink, relatively cheap—creates tension. Are we supposed to take the ‘history’ seriously? The cost of production must influence interpretation. Do you think a painting would have the same effect? Editor: Probably not, because the weight of the oil in rendering is far more established and revered. Shifting the mode changes our expectation for receiving meaning. Thanks, that’s a really interesting angle I’ll definitely remember! Curator: Absolutely, looking at the process of how these things were made provides great depth for analyzing their meanings and lasting impressions.