Defeat of the English (border, lower right) c. 17th century

Curator: This border, entitled "Defeat of the English," was created by Jacques Callot. Editor: Wow, it's so intense! I'm immediately struck by this frenetic energy, all those swirling lines. Curator: Right, Callot, who lived from 1592 to 1635, situates this scene of conflict within an ornate, almost celebratory border, which raises some fascinating questions about the glorification of war. Editor: Glorification, maybe. But there's also something unsettling about it, like a beautiful frame around a nightmare. What do you make of the scale? It feels so... distant, almost detached. Curator: That distance is key. It echoes larger power dynamics, suggesting how rulers and the elite are removed from the brutal realities of combat. Editor: Interesting. Looking at it now, that distance feels like a way to process something too overwhelming to face head-on. Thanks for helping me see that. Curator: My pleasure. These works act as cultural texts, revealing hidden social and political stratifications embedded within conflict.