Rund before 1650

Curator: Standing before us is “Rund,” a drawing attributed to Antonio Tempesta, crafted before 1650. Editor: Well, hello there, beastie. First thought? This creature looks like it’s having a REALLY bad hair day… like it just woke up in the middle of the Renaissance Faire. Curator: The work appears to be pen and ink on toned paper. Note how Tempesta delineates form through remarkably detailed cross-hatching and fine line work. The texture creates a sense of depth despite its classification as sketch-work. Editor: Mmhmm. Texture city. But I also see… irony? Like, it's trying so hard to be fierce—horns, tough-guy stance—but that curtain of hair gives it away. Total softie inside, maybe? Or perhaps just self-conscious? Curator: Perhaps it's best not to project too deeply, though your reading certainly suggests ways this work moves beyond simple mimetic representation. Consider, instead, the overall composition, this creature occupies almost the entire frame. Editor: Occupying, or dominating? The little drama unfolding behind the beastie seems like a footnote to its hairy presence. Speaking of that little drama: what do we make of it? It’s as if it knows its own scale. Curator: Precisely! These compositional elements, the scale and spatial relation of foreground and background elements contribute to a sense of visual tension, foregrounding the creature and augmenting it through relative contrast. Editor: I bet Tempesta was riffing, having fun mashing up different animal bits. Lion-like, but also a bit of yak. It is oddly beautiful, in a sort of 'noble savage goes punk rock' kinda way. Curator: Indeed. A close reading does reveal hybridity. The "Rund" embodies a fascinating synthesis, or to borrow from Deleuze and Guattari, a nomadic becoming that exceeds fixed categories. Editor: Nomadic becoming! Okay, I'll bite. It's a reminder that creatures – and art – don’t need to fit neatly into boxes. Maybe this hairy hulk is actually liberating. Breaking free from definitions, one bewildered glare at a time. Curator: A provocative notion that the visual materiality performs an undoing of definition... I think the "Rund" has gifted us some compelling avenues of thought for today. Editor: Agreed. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy some industrial-strength hair product. Inspiration strikes in strange places!