Legende amoriner. Allegori over kærligheden 1510 - 1530

Editor: So this print, “Legende amoriner. Allegori over kærligheden” or “Legend of the Amorini: Allegory of Love” by Ugo da Carpi, made sometime between 1510 and 1530, is full of, well, cupids! The limited palette makes it feel almost dreamlike. What jumps out to you? Curator: It's fascinating how da Carpi uses this technique to reproduce a subject steeped in classical allegory, but also challenges our assumptions about the supposed neutrality of "fine art." Consider the labor involved in printmaking versus painting, for instance. Editor: How does that connect to allegory, though? Curator: Allegories are stories with underlying meanings, often reflecting social or political realities. By choosing printmaking, typically viewed as less prestigious, da Carpi democratizes access to this allegorical scene. Who gets to interpret and participate in these love stories? Suddenly it’s not just the elite. What stories about access and labour does this print evoke for you? Editor: That’s a really interesting point, making it more accessible kind of subverts the elitism usually associated with those mythological themes. It almost feels rebellious in its own quiet way. Curator: Exactly. And considering the limited color palette – the print uses chiaroscuro woodcut technique. Editor: So, like, playing with light and dark. Curator: Precisely! Think about what this monochromatic scheme might say. Are we seeing love in a more 'realistic,' perhaps even austere, light? Or is this muted palette meant to elevate line and form in its own right? It feels both beautiful and restrained, doesn't it? Editor: It does! I never would've considered how the medium could inform the meaning so much. Thank you! Curator: It's about questioning who art is for, and whose stories get told, and how even technique can have its own politics.