Peleus's Cattle, and the Sea Wolf Turned to Marble 1606

Editor: This is Antonio Tempesta’s "Peleus's Cattle, and the Sea Wolf Turned to Marble." It's a small, incredibly detailed print. There’s a strange stillness to the whole scene; even the howling wolf seems frozen. What story do you think Tempesta is trying to tell? Curator: To me, the magic lies in Tempesta’s wrestling with metamorphosis. The wolf is mid-howl, yes, but becoming stone. Can you see the anxiety in the cattle, a premonition perhaps? Transformation isn’t always pretty; Tempesta captures the agony. Editor: So, it’s about the struggle within change, not just the change itself. Curator: Exactly. The tension between being and becoming. A bit like us, perpetually works in progress, wouldn't you say? Editor: Absolutely! I’ll never look at change the same way now!