Hert before 1650

Editor: So, this is "Hert," a print made before 1650 by Antonio Tempesta, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. It’s incredibly detailed, all these fine lines...and somehow it feels… contemplative, almost melancholy, despite just being a deer. What do you make of it? Curator: Melancholy, you say? An interesting entry point! For me, the stillness is arresting. Tempesta captures the animal mid-thought – or mid-graze, perhaps, equally profound. Think about it – an engraver turning his keen eye on an everyday beast and rendering it with such dignity. It begs the question: what makes this 'just a deer?' What kind of stories or emotions does Tempesta think a deer might embody? Editor: Well, I guess I hadn't thought about the symbolism so much. I was more focused on the line work itself. Did this have anything to do with, say, hunting prints? It feels different. Curator: Absolutely! There’s a robust tradition of hunting scenes, rife with drama and conflict. This... This is more of a portrait, wouldn't you say? Hunting implies domination, a power dynamic. Here, the stag is observed, contemplated even. Is it the beginning of anthropomorphism, perhaps? Do we start seeing ourselves in these noble beasts? It certainly makes one think about our relationship with nature in a different way. Editor: Huh. Portraiture of animals… never thought of it that way before! Curator: Art expands your realm. Editor: True enough! Now I’m seeing a whole different print. Curator: And that, my dear friend, is how art surprises you—again, and again!