A figure supporting a tablet with a representation of a herm of Diana of Ephesus, from the series 'Figurine' 1651 - 1661

Editor: This is "A figure supporting a tablet with a representation of a herm of Diana of Ephesus" by Salvator Rosa, created sometime between 1651 and 1661. It's a baroque engraving. The figure looks quite contemplative. What do you see in this piece that might go beyond the initial impression? Curator: It’s like catching a fleeting thought, isn't it? Rosa’s use of line is wonderfully chaotic, it gives the impression of a half-remembered dream. The figure is caught mid-thought it seems and there's this contrast of the robust figure versus the very sketch-like Diana. Do you feel that this speaks to you as a dichotomy of our intellectual pursuits? The struggle to give concrete shape to intangible ideas? Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. I was focusing more on the mythological aspect with the Diana figure. So, you see the contrast as more about the act of creation itself? Curator: Precisely! Think of Rosa, pen in hand, grappling with form and meaning. Maybe the figure isn’t just supporting the tablet but wrestling with it? He's physically imposing, the Diana is ethereal and only partially realised. Doesn't that tell us everything? What's more real: the concept or its execution? I wonder... Editor: That makes me consider the raw quality of the lines more, as if we are catching a glimpse of Rosa’s mind at work, rather than just a finished image. Curator: Indeed! We're party to a very private moment. Consider too: Rosa's own reputation as a rebel, constantly questioning established artistic norms. How interesting that *he* is our "muse" here. Almost voyeuristic, yes? Editor: It's definitely reframed my understanding of the print. I see more tension now, and a dialogue, literally, between the artist and his subject, rather than just a presentation. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Always good to wrestle with images and ideas!