Drinking Cup (Bernegal) c. 1620

Curator: Here we have an ornate drinking cup, known as a “Bernegal,” crafted around 1620. The creator, Miguel de Urbiola, worked meticulously with silver. You can find it here at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: Wow, the thing is just screaming Baroque excess, isn’t it? That lustrous, textured surface on the shell itself seems almost edible, like golden caramel. It must have been glorious when originally polished. Curator: Indeed. Drinking vessels like these were significant symbols of status and wealth, utilized amongst nobility during elaborate ceremonies or celebratory banquets. Each design was usually rife with symbolism and served as a tangible expression of cultural values, displaying their power and refined tastes. Editor: Precisely! And that’s what interests me – the skilled labor needed to produce something so elaborately decorative. Look closely. You have the twisted base, the detailed cast figures, and even the riveted decorations along the bowl. All tell us how much emphasis was given to the fabrication. Curator: Not only that, but silver, while naturally beautiful, also had monetary and even alchemical connotations. Owning something like this would broadcast that you had mastered the materials of this world and elevated yourself above common necessity. Editor: It does prompt reflection on the purpose and context of such intricate design. What would it be like to handle? How does its weight contribute to our impression? Does knowing that so much artistry has literally been used and consumed alter our perceptions now it’s behind museum glass? Curator: It certainly underscores that the visual arts aren’t just about passive contemplation, but often actively intertwined within the social and political life of their time. Even in objects meant for mundane usage, art serves to promote the ideologies of the period and shape its power structures. Editor: Yes, I think what strikes me most now is this strange convergence of aesthetic delight with clear reminders of hierarchical power dynamics, prompting us to probe beyond just its outer splendor. Curator: A valuable viewpoint; understanding how artwork interacts directly with power within societal framework can definitely improve understanding of not just artistic practices, but also the culture it represented.