Onderaan ligt een man op een voetstuk, gedecoreerd met een gordijn c. 1525 - 1594

Curator: Looking at this piece, "Onderaan ligt een man op een voetstuk, gedecoreerd met een gordijn"—it translates to "At the bottom lies a man on a pedestal, decorated with a curtain." It's attributed to Hans Sibmacher and created sometime between 1525 and 1594. Editor: Right, and the first thing that strikes me is its strangeness—it's almost a fever dream rendered in incredibly precise lines! The figures and objects seem to float and exist in their own little worlds within the frame. Curator: Absolutely! It's a pen and ink drawing, and an engraving which gives it this incredibly detailed, almost hyper-realistic quality, even with the fantastic elements. It has elements of Mannerism to it, playing with elongated figures and elaborate ornamentation. Editor: The "man on a pedestal" at the bottom seems almost inert, or perhaps he's contemplating? And above him, you have all this active stuff going on—a cart pulled by unicorns, winged figures, playful dogs. I wonder if Sibmacher intended this as an allegory? A commentary on social stratification perhaps? Curator: I think that’s insightful! It lends itself to various interpretations, definitely invites it! It does speak to a structured world— a man at rest is literally at the bottom, seemingly supporting this entire whimsical chaotic apparatus of movement, and aspiration with that cart at its center, a literal vehicle. It's fascinating how the clean, sharp lines highlight the bizarre nature of the imagery. It creates a sense of unease and almost forced cheerfulness—there is no real ground anywhere, is there? Editor: No, and that visual instability resonates today. How often do we consider what we 'stand on', what is being repressed and held in order for something else to seem to "float"? I really love the way it juxtaposes these mundane figures like dogs or birds in direct proportion to unicorns or Cupid-esque cherubs! Curator: I keep finding more detail—each little vignette is a universe of possibility. Sibmacher is offering a window, not into a world as it is, but into how we construct worlds for ourselves. And, to me, the 'bottom' of the construction—where rests a person with no immediate narrative purpose —seems like such a clever reflection on where to seek potential and support! Editor: Definitely food for thought – and maybe a prod to re-evaluate what, and who, is truly at the bottom of things.