Study for an engraving: "Almanac pour l'an de Bissexte M.DC.XCII: La Lotterie Chimerique d'Augsbourg où chacun met du sien sans proffit"[sic] 1675 - 1699

Editor: Here we have a study for an engraving from the late 17th century, "Almanac pour l'an de Bissexte M.DC.XCII: La Lotterie Chimerique d'Augsbourg o\u00f9 chacun met du sien sans proffit." It's an ink and wash drawing. What strikes me is the sheer density of figures and symbolism. How do you even begin to unpack something so layered? Curator: It’s like stumbling into a fever dream, isn't it? Or perhaps a particularly baroque theatrical production, mid-scene change. The sheer accumulation of detail can feel overwhelming, but that’s part of the point, I think. Have you noticed how everyone seems to be fixated on these games of chance, oblivious to the almost grotesque figures lurking in the shadows? Editor: The demon at the bottom left, next to what looks like a printing press? Curator: Precisely! And then you've got allegorical figures mingling with what seem to be portraits. To me, the artist seems to be making a rather pointed commentary on the folly of gambling, the way it can consume and distort society. Look at the title itself - "where everyone puts in their own without profit." There's a real biting sarcasm there. I can almost feel the artist scoffing at the whole charade. What does it make *you* feel? Editor: Definitely a sense of chaos, like everything is teetering on the edge of collapse, even with the angel watching from above. Curator: A divine figure with wings seems like it's not sure whether to intervene or to shake their head in disapproval. Baroque art loved a good moral lesson wrapped up in visual spectacle, don't you agree? Editor: It makes the past feel a lot less…distant, if that makes sense. Like, human folly is timeless. Curator: Exactly! It's a reminder that some human foibles never really go out of style, do they? Now I wonder about that printing press and demon and what their significance really means… Editor: Definitely lots to look at. And more to ponder. Thanks!