Europa and the Bull 1600 - 1700

Editor: This drawing, "Europa and the Bull," dates from around 1600 to 1700. It’s by an anonymous artist and rendered in ink. There’s a lightness to the sketchiness that I find quite charming, and the reddish-brown ink gives it warmth. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: It's intriguing to consider this drawing from a materialist perspective. Note the use of ink. Who had access to ink and paper of this quality during the Baroque era? The accessibility of these materials tells us about the social standing of the artist or workshop responsible for its creation. Consider the labor involved: from preparing the ink, potentially from raw materials, to the physical act of drawing itself. Editor: So, you're saying the materials themselves suggest a certain privilege or at least access to specific resources. But wouldn’t mythological subjects like this one automatically denote the elite classes? Curator: Precisely. This isn’t merely a sketch; it’s a material record of a particular time, place, and class. Mythological scenes, favored by wealthy patrons, often involved preparatory sketches and studies within the workshops. This particular print likely circulated within an artist’s workshop. The level of refinement would denote the rank of the artist. Is the drawing more rudimentary, therefore for early planning, or refined with artistic flourishes to sell? Editor: I never really considered the material reality behind the artistic choices so deeply. It's more than just aesthetics, it reflects a whole system of production. Curator: Exactly. This approach breaks down the mystique surrounding the artwork, emphasizing its status as a crafted object, enmeshed within the socio-economic fabric of its time. Material is at the root of consumption and labour. Editor: Thank you, seeing it that way changes how I'll view art from now on.