The Burning of the Old Fortress 1611

Curator: This is "The Burning of the Old Fortress" by Antonio Tempesta. He was active in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Note the dense cross-hatching; it's a detailed engraving. Editor: My first thought: unsettling. The burning in the background, the figures... it feels like a stage for something awful about to happen. Curator: Tempesta was known for his battle scenes, and here, we see the ritualistic humiliation of prisoners, quite common for the period. Consider the labor involved in creating the printing plate itself. Editor: That little boy with the bow and arrow… There’s something so chilling about the innocence and the horror intertwined. The whole scene has this bizarre mix of theatricality and cruelty. Curator: Exactly. And the dissemination of these images through print culture... It reveals a great deal about the appetite for violence and propaganda at the time. Editor: It’s a stark reminder of the power of art to both depict and, perhaps, even perpetuate violence.