Birds of a Feather ("Entre los suyos") 1807 - 1845

Curator: We’re looking at a fascinating etching and drawing by Leonardo Alenza, dating somewhere between 1807 and 1845. The piece is titled “Birds of a Feather,” or, in its original Spanish, “Entre los suyos.” Curator: The mood is so bizarre, so… satirical? What is happening in this imagined scene? The central figure with the stag horns seems almost at home in a bestial milieu. Curator: Note how Alenza uses very precise lines here to emphasize form and shadow—the angular lines really underscore that unsettling tone. His composition brings into focus the tension between detailed rendering and abstraction, and this builds on itself. Look closely at the use of negative space to suggest, rather than depict fully, these fantastical creatures surrounding our stag-horned gentleman. Curator: Yes, that gentleman who seems unbothered amongst animalistic figures and almost blending into this bestial assembly. His assuredness really challenges power dynamics of the time. "Birds of a Feather"—could this title point to critiques against elitist social groups or political gatherings of his time? Curator: The romantic aesthetic allows the artist to play with distortion to highlight specific character elements; exaggeration really adds dynamism to what we might consider "flawed" elements, even within an idyllic composition. Take for example, how his exaggerated garb and accessories contrast sharply with more subdued, stooping figures on the lower left corner. Curator: Indeed, the man’s elegant garb emphasizes an association with authority and status in direct contrast to his distorted face. The exaggerated appearance alongside shadowy characters questions conventional concepts of status. But is this social commentary directed towards those with "refined" appearances obscuring something more unsettling, more base, or something even beastly beneath? Curator: Agreed, his composition style plays very expertly into challenging perceptions—Alenza really does not limit himself to simply mirroring accepted visual expressions but moves towards pushing what's understood as beauty, grotesqueness, even absurdity. Curator: And in considering such artistic manipulation and symbolism through our contemporary socio-political lens, works like “Birds of a Feather” can open us up to necessary discourse about structures around privilege, societal accountability, even transformation and adaptability. It pushes against simple aesthetic enjoyment to actively provoke meaningful questioning about norms. Curator: Alenza creates a compelling aesthetic tension! An invitation for re-evaluation that still feels poignant today. Curator: I’d concur—definitely still thought-provoking today as a challenging representation of social dynamics.