Illustration for Canto XVII c. 16th century

Curator: Antonio Tempesta created this etching, "Illustration for Canto XVII," to accompany an edition of Torquato Tasso's epic poem *Gerusalemme Liberata*. Editor: The composition is incredibly active, almost chaotic. Masses of figures fill the scene, rendered with an almost feverish energy. Curator: Tempesta's workshop was known for churning out battle scenes and biblical illustrations for a growing print market. Consider this illustration as a commodity, produced within a system of labor and distribution. Editor: Yet the sheer detail! The way he uses line to create texture, depth. The contrast between the tightly packed soldiers and the open sky—it gives a sense of oppressive scale. Curator: The material conditions of printmaking—the copper plate, the acid, the paper—shaped the aesthetic possibilities and limitations of the image. Editor: Perhaps, but within those constraints, Tempesta achieved a remarkable dynamism. It really captures the drama of the poem. Curator: Seeing this etching through the lens of its making helps us understand its function, its place in a broader network of production and consumption. Editor: For me, it's about how Tempesta uses form to convey the intensity of this epic narrative.