Elderly Man Watching Putti Dissect an Eye c. 1613

Peter Paul Rubens made this drawing, Elderly Man Watching Putti Dissect an Eye, likely in the early 17th century, using pen and brown ink on paper. Look closely at the sepia lines, they are not just describing the scene, but actually making it happen before our eyes. Rubens was a master of this technique, and you can see how he used it to create a sense of depth and movement. But this isn't just a demonstration of skill. Think about the subject matter, a group of cherubic putti conducting a scientific dissection, observed by an elder. We may ask what the artist is asking with this drawing. Are we looking at the dawn of empirical science? The death of a certain kind of innocence? In any case, the drawing reminds us that all images are made by someone, with labor, with intention, and within a specific historical context. Understanding the materiality of works like this helps us to appreciate their full complexity.