Adoration of the kings 

Editor: Here we have Pietro Testa’s "Adoration of the Kings," a drawing rendered in ink. It has such a fluid, dreamlike quality, almost ethereal, wouldn’t you say? What draws you to this particular piece? Curator: It *is* like a faded dream, isn't it? The way the ink washes across the page... Testa’s drawing speaks to me of hidden intentions. This adoration isn't just a pious scene; there's a restless energy simmering beneath the surface. It feels like a stage set, characters positioned just so, waiting for the real drama to begin. Do you feel that tension? Editor: Yes, definitely. The figures are all looking in slightly different directions. I suppose I’m used to Adorations feeling more... joyous? More settled? Curator: Exactly! It's baroque with a twist, don’t you think? Line and wash used to give an unsettling immediacy, a vulnerability. This feels less about divine right and more about...human yearning. Testa is really good at capturing an anxious energy, using that sketchy line to show not only the shapes of things but their emotional weight too. But tell me, what figure speaks to you the most in this "Adoration?" Editor: I’m drawn to Mary, almost isolated amidst the bustle. Her gaze is inward, as if contemplating the immensity of what's happening, rather than being caught up in the spectacle. Curator: Beautifully put! The way he uses light and shadow there...It is also very poetic. We, as viewers, are given an insight into her internal world as she looks at the Christ child. Her apparent calm holds a profound strength. And that, for me, is what elevates this drawing. Editor: So, beneath the traditional subject matter, we find a deeply human moment captured with striking intimacy. Curator: Precisely! Testa invites us to see the humanity *within* the divine. Editor: Thank you! It makes you consider that familiar narrative from a totally different angle, almost as if Testa questions our assumptions.