Venus and Adonis c. 19th century

Curator: Here we have Paolo Toschi's "Venus and Adonis." Look at the stark contrast between the reclining goddess and the active hunter. Editor: It feels rather melancholic, even in its formal perfection. The grayscale rendering emphasizes the somber mood. What material is this? Curator: We believe this is an engraving or etching. Note the precision of line, the stark delineation of form. Editor: An etching, interesting, because that means acid was used to bite into the plate, creating the image. You know, a process itself related to alchemy. Curator: The composition, however, echoes classical ideals. See how the figures are arranged along a gentle diagonal, leading the eye through the scene. Editor: And what does the making of such a piece say about labor, about how imagery and myth are literally manufactured for consumption? Curator: Perhaps the melancholy stems from the awareness of transient beauty, as revealed through this calculated, linear precision. Editor: Yes, perhaps by making it, we are consuming our very own demise.