Standing Fox 16th-17th century

Curator: I find this tiny artwork so compelling. It’s Antonio Tempesta’s "Standing Fox," a 16th- or 17th-century print now residing at the Harvard Art Museums. What's your first impression? Editor: Nervous energy, captured perfectly. The fox seems coiled, ready to spring. It makes me think about vulnerability. Curator: Absolutely! The fox, often symbolic of cunning, is here stripped bare, revealing its anxiety. Think about the political instability of Tempesta's time. Could the fox reflect fears of the powerful preying on the vulnerable? Editor: That's a sharp observation. Tempesta was working during a period of intense religious and political upheaval. The fox, then, becomes a symbol of resistance against oppressive forces. Curator: It also makes me reflect on the raw emotion conveyed through those precise, almost obsessive, lines. Editor: Yes, it’s as if each stroke is a carefully plotted act of defiance. Thanks for pointing that out. Curator: My pleasure. Art is about seeing ourselves, isn't it?