The Animals Going Toward the Ark c. 1650 - 1655

Curator: Here, we have Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione's etching, "The Animals Going Toward the Ark," created circa 1650-1655. It's currently part of the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection. Editor: Wow, my first thought? It’s bursting with life! The sheer volume of animals packed in creates a beautiful chaos. It feels frantic, a kind of joyful panic. Curator: That "joyful panic" is fascinating considering the backdrop, the biblical flood narrative. Castiglione, often called Il Grechetto, was deeply immersed in interpreting biblical scenes through a lens that acknowledged complex social dynamics. How are we to interpret depictions like this, given current human relations to natural ecosystems and the exploitation of animals in such contexts? Editor: Interesting question, absolutely. Visually, the Ark itself is almost an afterthought, far in the background. All the energy is focused on the animals themselves. It's like Castiglione wants us to contemplate this great migration, all these different creatures brought together in a common goal. Curator: Yes, and it raises interesting questions about inclusion and exclusion. Who gets saved? What criteria are used? Whose stories are prioritized? We have to acknowledge the religious allegory and also see it through the perspectives of marginalized beings that were subjected to such catastrophic historical, social, and political upheaval. Editor: Right. And technically, I find his use of etching so expressive. The varying line weights bring such depth to the landscape and texture to the animals' coats. Look at the almost frantic scribbles that create the dense foliage and compare that to the delicate lines that shape the sheep. Curator: His approach to light and shadow is very Baroque, but it’s tempered with his unique sense of realism in rendering the animals. Each creature seems to possess its own personality. Editor: Exactly. This piece has a beautiful kind of wildness to it, which invites us to contemplate themes of displacement and resilience in unexpected and illuminating ways. It feels hopeful and grounded all at once. Curator: Definitely something to keep in mind as we are thinking about both survival, environmental precarity, and narrative construction in times of ecological and social change. Thank you.