Hippomenes and Atalanta 

Curator: This sketch is attributed to Nicolas Poussin, a rendering in red chalk of Hippomenes and Atalanta, housed at the Städel Museum. Editor: The raw energy practically leaps off the page. You can feel the strain in their bodies, even with these sparse lines. Curator: Indeed. Poussin's process often involved multiple studies, and red chalk was a preferred medium for its ease of manipulation, blending, and re-working of compositions like this one. Think about the availability and cost-effectiveness of the material, too. Editor: And consider the ancient story, a popular subject. Atalanta, the swift huntress, challenged suitors to a footrace—defeat meant death. Hippomenes, aided by Venus, used golden apples to distract her, winning the race and her hand. It’s about desire, distraction, and, ultimately, possession. Curator: I appreciate that. For me, the rough execution reminds us that images aren’t always smooth finished objects, untouched by the messiness of work. We are witnessing an artist’s labour here. The sketch isn't just the genesis of an artwork; it embodies physical processes like material extraction, commerce, and the studio assistants needed to prep the chalk itself! Editor: That interplay, the visible effort juxtaposed with this powerful myth, adds layers. The golden apples are symbols of temptation. And they work. Curator: In our image-saturated culture, to encounter this sketch allows us to reflect on materiality itself – how something relatively modest generates this complex artwork. Editor: Agreed. Poussin, even in this rough study, knew how to convey narrative power through universally resonant symbols. One gets a sense for that artistic continuity from Ovid's *Metamorphoses* to Poussin’s interpretation. Curator: So much consideration evident within seemingly simple means. Editor: Yes, a study in swiftness and materiality intersecting to echo a story about the pursuit of desire.