Hermaphrodite Figure 1540

Curator: Here we have a beautiful drawing by Jacopo Pontormo, titled "Hermaphrodite Figure," created around 1540. It is currently held in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Editor: The ochre tones immediately give it an earthy feel. Looking closely, you can almost see the tooth of the paper. Was it quickly rendered? The pose feels fluid, but also deliberate. Curator: It's executed in charcoal and pencil, quintessential Renaissance materials. Pontormo was a master of Mannerism, and this sketch perfectly demonstrates the style's emphasis on elongated forms and exaggerated poses, pushing beyond the High Renaissance ideals of naturalism. Editor: I find the medium and that subtle coloring so interesting, a red chalk or sanguine perhaps? These materials situate the piece. It speaks of workshops, preparatory drawings, the foundation upon which larger paintings were built. How different from the finished, idealized canvases! Curator: Absolutely. The subject itself is drawn from mythology – Hermaphroditus, the son of Hermes and Aphrodite, who merged with a nymph, Salmacis, becoming one being of both sexes. The figure becomes symbolic of a union, a blurring of boundaries. It has layers upon layers. Editor: Boundaries are interesting in relation to this work’s materiality, too. Charcoal, pencil, paper— relatively accessible materials in the 16th century. One must consider the socioeconomic context; drawing held a unique position. Was it practice or presentation, and did that define "art?" Curator: Pontormo uses line so expressively, capturing the figure's inherent grace and perhaps their inner turmoil. Mannerism is frequently characterized by tension, a restlessness...The figure is poised in a way that projects both confidence and unease, don't you think? Editor: Yes. Though I see beyond inner turmoil, to process and production, really. This figure makes me consider workshops and economies and not some rarefied interiority. This drawing makes visible the usually unseen labor that supports art production. Curator: Pontormo makes visible much more than process. But I agree, we see now his legacy through these very preparatory steps that speak of timeless narratives that inform our present moment. Editor: A great conversation, that makes me look at these classical underpinnings and see more about how art has, in essence, been made!