Zwevende engel en een vleugel 1558 - 1612

Curator: Here we have "Floating Angel and a Wing" by Bernardino Poccetti, created sometime between 1558 and 1612. It’s a pencil and colored pencil drawing, very typical of the Mannerist style, showing an angel in flight. Editor: Oh, what a little cherub! It makes me feel like giggling. Like a secret I shouldn't know is about to be whispered into my ear on a sunbeam. So delicate! Curator: Consider the social function of angels at this time. Angels as represented were tied to expressions of religious power, often deployed to support existing hierarchies. Would you say the drawing is participating or resisting those conventions? Editor: Hmm. Power... You know, seeing the angel this way, it’s more about vulnerability, really. The unfinished wing feels poignant. As though, just maybe, even angels sometimes need a break, or a helping hand. Maybe I'm projecting? Curator: Not necessarily. The softness of the pencil work lends itself to such feelings, although we must note that Poccetti may not have seen these figures in isolation; they might have been intended as part of a larger fresco or painting, with other figures. Angels within Mannerism often possess an exaggerated elegance, but this one lacks such certainty. Editor: See, I knew it! A smidge rebellious. I get it. What I appreciate about sketches like these, by any artist, is you get the glimpse of a real person's actual hand. Like time travel or something. Curator: It’s definitely interesting to consider this work's engagement with artistic training. Drawings were, and remain, fundamental to artistic practice. Editor: Exactly! It lets us dream about Poccetti doodling while his mind wanders off... I wonder what music he was listening to, eh? Maybe someone complaining loudly nearby? I'm getting carried away again, sorry! Curator: On the contrary, I think you bring up relevant and valid points about process, embodiment, and imaginative license, underscoring this sketch's unique position within both Poccetti's work and Mannerist traditions. Editor: Okay, you convinced me. Angels, power, music... the mystery unfolds!