Bull c. 1590 - 1598

Editor: Here we have a bronze sculpture of a bull, made around 1590 to 1598 by Hans Reisinger. I find the musculature fascinating, it feels so exaggerated. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Well, consider the period. This is late Mannerism. Exaggeration was practically the point. We see this kind of hyper-realism frequently in depictions of power during that era, the visual politics are unavoidable. This bull isn’t just an animal; it's a symbol. Editor: A symbol of what, exactly? Strength? Wealth? Curator: All those things, but also a calculated statement. Remember who the patrons of art were then - noble families, rulers. To own such a piece, to display it, signaled their own supposed virility and dominance, a message they wanted to project publicly. Editor: So it’s about the message more than the artistic merit itself? Curator: It's impossible to fully separate them, especially within the framework of courtly art. The skill involved is undeniable, but the context provides deeper layers of meaning. Imagine where it would be placed. What sort of conversations was this sculpture meant to initiate, or perhaps even shut down? Editor: I never considered it in terms of "conversations" before. So it’s not just an image, but an active participant in the social landscape. Curator: Exactly. And considering the bull is often a signifier of the masculine, and of fertility, its presence also spoke to the importance of lineage and the continuation of power. These visual cues solidified the established order. Editor: Wow, I had not thought about the visual politics implied by this work before. Curator: It shifts the entire dynamic, doesn't it? I appreciate looking closely at this artwork with you today.