Vulcanus smeedt de vleugel van Cupido 1490 - 1520

Curator: Here we have Nicoletto da Modena’s engraving, "Vulcanus Smeedt de Vleugel van Cupido," dating from somewhere between 1490 and 1520. Editor: My first thought? Laborious love. The level of detail is incredible, making the labor involved strikingly evident. Curator: Yes, and it's intriguing, isn’t it? Seeing the god of the forge, Vulcan, hunched over his anvil, meticulously crafting a wing for Cupid, makes me ponder the artistry, time, and perhaps even pain, involved in crafting love. The narrative pulls from classical mythology, yet grounds itself in the gritty reality of manual work. Editor: Absolutely. Think about the process. Every tiny line etched by hand to build form and convey texture. The tools, the deliberate gestures… there's a strong material sensibility at play. It challenges the airy-fairy nature we often associate with love, positioning it more like… commodity? It feels more transactional. Curator: Or maybe it suggests love needs careful construction. Cupid isn’t passively receiving the wing; he is there witnessing, as an active observer and an involved party in its creation. And the linear style certainly emphasizes the form itself, the careful craftsmanship, as opposed to lush colors or textures. This is all about line, the most elemental component. It's a raw expression. Editor: Right. Stripped down, revealing its underpinnings. Look at the world surrounding Vulcan. Roughhewn blocks, basic tools... it is all presented very deliberately, even coldly. Not typically how love is idealized, is it? And note, this isn't painting. An engraving like this...it allows for more prints. This image and therefore its idea of 'love', it is meant to be distributed. To whom and why is part of the appeal. Curator: That's true! Perhaps it highlights the labor-intensive aspect of love, both given and received? An exploration of the burdens of love on an artist as an artisanal object to sell? To remind us that even the most ethereal feelings require effort, skill, and often a bit of good old-fashioned hammering? Editor: Ultimately, this image has made me reflect on the tangible labor behind intangible concepts, the act of creation across mythology, and production. Curator: It encourages me to find a bittersweet charm in this image; perhaps recognizing that while love might begin in fire, sometimes wings needs fixing and forging by the mundane work.