The Giants Attempting to Storm Olympus 1606

Curator: Here we have Antonio Tempesta's "The Giants Attempting to Storm Olympus," a small print at just 10.5 x 12 cm, now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels chaotic, almost frenzied. A mass of bodies striving upwards against a cloudy sky. Curator: Tempesta, active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, was known for his battle scenes. Note the intricate cross-hatching that builds form and creates a sense of dynamism. The labor involved in such a detailed print is considerable. Editor: Absolutely. And those giants, heaving rocks toward the heavens—it's a potent representation of marginalized groups challenging power structures. It also makes me consider class struggle. Curator: Indeed. The materiality itself, the ink pressed onto paper through laborious engraving, echoes the giants’ own struggle. Editor: The etching technique, combined with the mythological subject matter, suggests a commentary on the artist's own societal context. Very thought-provoking. Curator: A small print, yet it contains multitudes!