Semele's Wish c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have Antonio Tempesta’s "Semele's Wish," a flurry of fine lines depicting a rather unfortunate moment. My first thought? Drama! Pure operatic drama, etched in miniature. Editor: Yes, it’s all about the density of the engraved line, isn't it? Look at how Tempesta uses cross-hatching to build up the shadows in those cloud forms. It speaks to the labor involved, the sheer hours spent manipulating the copper plate. Curator: And the story! Semele, a mortal, dared to ask Zeus to reveal his true godly form. The result? Instant incineration. Talk about a cautionary tale. Editor: Incineration indeed. And etched with such meticulous detail. The consumption, of course, isn't just Semele's body but also the resources—the copper, the ink—to create this image. Curator: It’s a potent reminder that even beauty can have a fiery price. Editor: Precisely. A confluence of material and myth, etched for eternity.