Desseins a Plusieurs Usages Inventés par M. B. Toro 1718

Curator: So whimsical! It's like a doodle found in the margins of a particularly imaginative treaty. Editor: Precisely! The title is “Desseins a Plusieurs Usages Inventés par M. B. Toro,” dating back to 1718. Its maker is Jean Bernard Toro, and the museum identifies this work as both a drawing and a print. It is housed right here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Curator: Immediately I think: visual feast! There are allegorical undertones, nudes, historical-painting elements—a Baroque party happening on a sheet of paper. Though in miniature. Look how delicate the etching is. Editor: Agreed. Note the Cupid figure floating above, aiming an arrow – certainly an eternal and loaded symbol! It brings together themes of power and vulnerability with ease. Curator: Absolutely. The goddess in her chariot is such an imposing image, yet surrounded by these tender, almost ephemeral figures. Is she leading them or is she a hostage? Editor: Maybe a bit of both. Or, consider how a leader always carries the burden of her followers, and a bit of restraint is also on the people. Consider how historical leaders are carried in triumph through town squares; I sense something of this complexity on view. I enjoy, especially, the lack of empty space here, as the lack indicates to me a certain mental energy to fill every part with symbolic potential. Curator: You’re right – the composition really keeps your eye moving across the scene. No spot is neglected and the themes blend harmoniously, if you look for a while. What remains most compelling is Toro’s integration of drawing and print mediums; so technically skillful. Editor: It's a glimpse into a past way of visualizing power dynamics, perhaps, still lingering within our cultural memory today. Curator: What a delicious notion to unpack.