"What Have I Done, Damned Assassins..." c. 18th century

Curator: This etching, "What Have I Done, Damned Assassins..." by A. Claude Philippe de Thubières comte de Caylus, it’s quite the scene, isn't it? The way the figures are arranged, almost like players on a stage, strikes me as darkly comical. What do you make of it? Editor: It feels very theatrical, yes, even a bit cruel. Is this a commentary on justice, perhaps? Curator: Perhaps! Or a satire of power, of those who hide behind ceremony while enacting violence. Notice the contrast – the elegant setting versus the brutality of the act. What does that suggest to you? Maybe it's a jab at the absurdity of it all. Or, who knows, maybe I’m just projecting my own dark sense of humor onto it! Editor: That's a great point! I hadn't considered the humor in it. Now I see another layer of meaning! Curator: Art, much like life, is full of layers, my friend. Never stop peeling them back.