Preparing for the cockfight 1939

Editor: Here we have Romualdo Locatelli's 1939 oil painting, "Preparing for the Cockfight". It feels very immediate, almost like a snapshot of a casual gathering. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: What jumps out at me is the way Locatelli situates this very traditional and, frankly, violent event, within a specific cultural context. This isn’t just any cockfight; it’s a cockfight being prepared for in a particular place, likely in Southeast Asia given Locatelli's travels. The bodies of the men, the attire and landscape speak volumes, wouldn't you agree? How does it challenge or reinforce preconceived notions we might have about cultural practices and the communities involved? Editor: That's a good point, I hadn’t considered that the figures felt more like part of the landscape, rather than just people spectating at a cockfight. The colors are really muted; the figures blend right in. Curator: Exactly. Locatelli doesn't shy away from depicting a scene that many might find controversial. It is so fascinating how he captures not just the event, but the cultural preparation and the way bodies and even roosters inhabit and animate the very ground around them, imbuing them with power and significance. Do you feel he’s offering a critique, or perhaps an observation? Editor: I think he's mostly observing. But knowing the history of colonialism in Southeast Asia, it's hard not to wonder if there is a power dynamic involved with a Western artist painting this scene. Curator: Precisely. And considering it's 1939, on the precipice of World War II, it raises questions about power, representation, and whose stories are being told and for whom. It's a powerful piece, isn't it? Editor: Definitely. It's more complex than I initially thought. Curator: These sorts of discussions surrounding the ethics and socio-historical context is precisely how we can start re-framing history’s narratives and begin including intersectional contexts.