Festa della Sensa (negende gedeelte) 1679

Curator: Jost Amman created this engraving titled "Festa della Sensa (negende gedeelte)" around 1679. It depicts a historical Venetian festival. What strikes you initially about it? Editor: The sheer density of figures! It's incredibly active, almost overwhelmingly so, the eye struggles to find a still point. There's such linear complexity—every direction you look the textures contrast greatly, like the difference in the line qualities making up the clouds and the clothing of the figure in the gondola. Curator: The print, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, offers a fascinating window into Venice’s socio-political theater. “Festa della Sensa,” or the Feast of the Ascension, commemorated Venice’s maritime power and its symbolic marriage to the sea. It represents their dominance and alludes to present day climate crisis. Editor: Looking closer at the rendering, the water almost appears turbulent or even chaotic with the tiny cross hatching layered tightly over itself. How does this speak to its political connotations? Curator: Well, the Festa served as a powerful tool for the Venetian oligarchy. By staging this elaborate annual ritual, they visually reinforced their legitimacy and authority. But also thinking about labor, one might question who were literally in the trenches, or rather, in the boats during these spectacles? What populations are invisibilized by this print? Editor: I see your point, it brings up complex questions of representation and power, made even more striking with this high contrast of white space and intricate carving. The detail on the garments of the people walking along the upper deck contrasts greatly from the simple robes on the figures rowing below. Curator: Right, thinking intersectionally we have to consider the networks of trade and class relations implicit to this festival, and the populations who did not get a seat at the table, or in the boat, as it were. Editor: A great observation, there's so much activity within a clearly hierarchical composition—from above, a clear staging of spectacle for those at the top of Venetian society; and from below, a visual representation of supporting labour for those participating from the water. Curator: Analyzing art through its political functions requires a willingness to delve into its broader context, prompting necessary reflection. Editor: Indeed, there's much to decode through its structure and through the interplay of visual cues at hand.