Standing Tiger c. 16th century

Curator: This is Antonio Tempesta's "Standing Tiger," residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Look at the intense focus in the tiger's eyes. What's your immediate take? Editor: Grumpy. He looks so grumpy! And all those tiny lines, giving him this almost prickly feel. Curator: Well, Tempesta, born in 1555, was quite the printmaker. It's important to remember the labor and the materials used to create the print. The crosshatching really defines the form. Editor: It’s like he’s trying to make something ferocious, but it comes off…endearing? I keep wanting to give him a pat on the head, even though he looks like he wants to bite mine off. Curator: Perhaps that was the intent. To show the duality of nature, its power, and its vulnerability within our own social constructs? Editor: Maybe. Or maybe Tempesta just had a bad day and needed to draw a cranky cat. Either way, I like him. Curator: A fascinating example of a culture trying to understand its own relation to the natural world. Editor: Exactly. A cranky, prickly window into the past!