Reverse Copy of Les Deux Personnages Assis (The Two Seated People), from "Les Caprices" Series A, The Florence Set 1620 - 1700

Curator: Immediately, the emptiness around these figures makes them feel incredibly isolated. What's going on here? Editor: I see two figures captured in "Reverse Copy of Les Deux Personnages Assis," an engraving, part of "Les Caprices" series, and it’s dated somewhere between 1620 and 1700. Currently, this print resides at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The title translates to "The Two Seated People." But to me they seem more like two solitary figures temporarily occupying the same visual plane, right? Curator: Absolutely. There's a distinct lack of interaction; each figure is enclosed in its own sphere. They both exude a languid Baroque-era aristocratic swagger—though the hats suggest otherwise! I see how this could fall under the 'caprices' heading… it hints at follies, absurdities. A bit cruel, don’t you think? Editor: Cruel, perhaps a touch, or maybe just observing human foibles with an unblinking eye. Consider the history; Baroque art, and especially prints like this, often played with societal critiques hidden behind these kinds of comical portrayals. That rakish angle of the sword on the right...it’s like a silent accusation, wouldn’t you say? What does it imply to you? Curator: An imbalance, maybe a sense of veiled threat that underlies all social interaction. Those swords hint at status but also imminent violence. And look how formally the person on the right poses; it contrasts strikingly with the slouch of the figure on the left who's totally contained and coiled in… almost as if they’re guarding something. Editor: Hidden things. Always hidden things bubbling to the surface in art that is interesting and beautiful. I am glad to be left with all sorts of puzzles after engaging with it. Curator: Agreed! This work does echo some questions. It captures the underlying anxieties and pretensions of its time in just a few lines. It invites further scrutiny of its historical backdrop, even to us here and now.