Shallow Round Dish on tall Pedestal Decorated with Fruit and Female Masks 1500 - 1583

Curator: This drawing, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is titled "Shallow Round Dish on tall Pedestal Decorated with Fruit and Female Masks." It was created between 1500 and 1583 by Erasmus Hornick, utilizing ink, watercolor, and perhaps colored pencil. Editor: My initial impression is that it's strikingly austere. The muted palette emphasizes the intricate ornamentation; it gives it a slightly haunting feel. Curator: Given Hornick’s penchant for mannerism, how do you think social context shaped this design? The proliferation of printmaking, for instance, allowed such designs to circulate widely. Editor: Exactly! It’s a fascinating object to consider the ways in which dining rituals evolved and became increasingly elaborate during this period. Think of the patrons, their aspirations, and the display of wealth and power through these sorts of intricate table pieces. Curator: Considering that Hornick designed metalwork and jewelry, it’s tempting to imagine this rendering as a precise template for artisanal labor. Look at the drawing technique—the hatching and fine lines, mimicking the look of an engraving which allowed a metalsmith a precise design plan for chasing silver or gold. Editor: It speaks volumes about the hierarchies present in workshop culture. The master designer conceives of the object, yet its ultimate manifestation relies upon the skills and physical labor of many specialized artisans. Curator: Note also that it’s decorated with fruits and faces, a rather opulent confluence of classical motifs—ripe for the picking! Was there some sort of symbolic gesture associated with that aesthetic? Editor: Likely an effort to revive classical themes with more politically minded references. A visual rhetoric that would impress the consumer base with that level of connoisseurship! Curator: Thank you, this definitely puts it into a broader perspective, seeing how these social influences really come into play here. Editor: Likewise! It helps connect all these beautiful pieces to a larger view on society, politics, and culture of its day!