A man kneeling next to a basket of fish and taking one with both hands, two men at right in the background 1510 - 1532

This print at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was made by Marco Dente sometime between 1515 and 1527. The composition stages a central, kneeling figure next to a basket of fish, rendered in a style that emphasizes muscularity and dynamic tension. This is achieved through the intricate cross-hatching that defines both the human form and the surrounding landscape. The use of line here is not merely descriptive; it constructs a visual field that plays with light and shadow to create a sense of depth and volume, within a compressed space. The semiotic interplay between the figures—the active fisherman and the more passive observers in the background—suggests a narrative about labor, exchange, and spectatorship. The stark contrast and sharp details invite you to decode the social and economic values embedded in the scene. Notice how the artist uses line to suggest texture and form, engaging us in a dialogue about the material conditions of image-making. It challenges us to consider what meanings such a stark, yet detailed, presentation might suggest.