Dance of the cupids 

Editor: So, this is "Dance of the Cupids" by Giuseppe Bossi. It’s an ink drawing on paper and its held at the Städel Museum. There's something very raw about the sketch-like quality. What strikes me most is the visible labor—you can see the artist's hand in every line. How do you see this work? Curator: Exactly! Look at the materiality—ink, paper—basic tools facilitating an allegorical scene. Consider the consumption of art in Bossi's time. These weren't mass-produced prints but singular works reflecting the patron's wealth and taste, products of skilled labor, challenging notions of divine inspiration. Is it simply a pleasing image, or is it representative of something else? Editor: It makes me wonder who the intended audience was. The lines are quick and expressive, maybe not meant for public display in the way a finished painting would be. Do you think that influences our understanding? Curator: Absolutely! Think of the artist's studio as a site of production. This drawing is akin to a draft. The Baroque loved this stuff, didn't they? We see evidence of trial and error, perhaps for the commission of an artwork which is yet to be created. This reveals the artist's labor, his thinking. Where is this being created? Where is it sold? By whom? The materiality carries such insight. Editor: It shifts the focus from just aesthetic beauty to the process itself. The work challenges high and low art definitions. It feels unfinished but at the same time provides insights into art creation. Curator: Precisely. Appreciate not just what’s depicted, but the labour that’s physically ingrained and the system which makes this physical labour meaningful. What we've examined allows a far richer engagement!