An ambassador of the Barbarigo family received in audience by an oriental sovereign 1556 - 1629

This drawing by Antonio Aliense, from around 1600, depicts an ambassador of the Barbarigo family being received by an oriental sovereign. It’s made with pen and brown ink, and brown wash on paper, materials which might seem basic, but allowed Aliense to achieve a remarkable level of detail. Look closely and you'll notice how the ink lines vary in thickness, creating depth and shadow. The brown wash adds further dimension, giving a sense of volume to the figures and architectural elements. These weren't industrial materials, but they were essential for transmitting information and ideas, much like the diplomatic mission depicted. The drawing captures a moment of intercultural exchange, but it also speaks to the labor involved in creating such an image. Consider the artist's hand, meticulously rendering each detail, and the social context of artistic production in 17th-century Venice. This drawing reminds us that art is always the result of skilled labor, embedded in specific social and economic conditions. So let’s not separate art from the wider material world.