Varkensdas before 1650

Curator: Here we have Antonio Tempesta’s "Varkensdas," an engraving that dates from before 1650. It resides here at the Rijksmuseum. The rendering is rather peculiar. Editor: Indeed, the stark, linear quality gives the badger an almost fierce, determined air. It's grounded by that very textural base, that looks almost like crumpled paper—a perfect material foil. Curator: Considering Tempesta's time, such animal depictions often carried symbolic weight. The badger, then and now, is liminal creature associated with resourcefulness. Did you notice its teeth? They reveal the predatory instincts barely concealed behind a benign mask. What sociopolitical themes does this mask speak to? Who profits? Who pays the price? Editor: Good point. Look at how he uses those dense, closely-hatched lines to define the badger’s form— it’s all about volume and mass conveyed through incredibly economical means. A marvel in describing shape. The animal virtually emerges from the paper. Curator: True, but it would be reductive to discuss artistic value only based on technique, as though its making exists separate from culture! During the Baroque era, animals were allegories for societal figures. To see Tempesta's "Varkensdas," is to be confronted with a question: Who has to live by animal cunning to survive in this society? Why? Editor: But haven’t we both side-stepped that this remains, first and foremost, an animal portrait? To disregard his line work in favour of making broad, tenuous analogies... that diminishes its value as an observable thing. Curator: To discuss art removed from history is the more reductionist path. "Varkensdas" provides an important historical lens to explore how social structures are constructed, justified, and internalized through art. This can inform discussions about labor exploitation. Editor: I'm still captivated by the way the light seems to catch the fur. Curator: Right. But perhaps this time in our gallery visit, our point of departure is about reflecting how structures of social inequalities are reinforced. A reflection about class... Editor: I see your point. There's undeniable weight to considering what these artistic choices represent outside of pure form. I will think more about it.