Donna nobile Bresciana 1598

Curator: This pen and ink drawing from 1598 by Christoph Krieger is titled "Donna Nobile Bresciana" and captures a woman in full dress of the period. Editor: My first thought is how severe she looks! All those elaborate layers of clothing must have weighed heavily on her—literally and figuratively. Curator: The detail achieved with such simple means is striking. Look at the repeated patterns meticulously engraved to mimic ermine or brocade; notice also the page numbers on this book which show that the print reproduces existing forms of mass media such as the codex. Editor: Right. Beyond mere representation, I’m thinking about the woman’s position within society. Was she afforded rights commensurate with her finery? What power did she actually wield? The materiality speaks to the vast gulf between a life of supposed luxury and real human agency for women then, and, arguably, sometimes now. Curator: One cannot dismiss the high degree of craft involved here! These repeated marks demand incredible control by the artist and intense handwork; it is easy to forget the social organisation, including studios, patronage and family links, necessary for this picture to be possible at all. Editor: And that reminds us how fashion throughout the ages becomes a highly contested domain – think of the political dimensions of dress codes then and even now! Who gets to determine what constitutes "nobility"? Curator: The method, the craft of image-making, here serves class divisions to define that very concept. It also displays an artist showing his talent for the labour market in Mannerist period print. Editor: Well, examining this image of Christoph Krieger's reminds us to reflect upon dress and identity throughout history. It compels to look closely at the stories, both empowered and restricted, that can be embedded in images like this one. Curator: Absolutely, it speaks to how even something that appears simple, a line drawing of ink on paper, involves extensive skill, materials, patronage and historical making.