The Triumph of Time (recto); Sketch of a Stag (verso) c. 1517

Curator: This circular drawing, currently residing at the Art Institute of Chicago, is titled "The Triumph of Time," dating back to around 1517. On the back there’s even a study of a stag, so you’re getting two for the price of one! It’s ink and pencil on paper. Editor: My first impression is of ephemerality—the delicate lines seem almost ghostly, as though this whole scene is fading before our eyes. Is it a particularly large work? Curator: Not at all. It’s quite small, actually, only about eight inches in diameter. Given the medium and size, it was likely preparatory work for a print. The central figure of Time rides a chariot pulled by stags, an hourglass prominent on his cart. Behind him, what looks like the grim reaper is also riding with a scythe. Editor: Right away, it reads like a meditation on mortality, very timely considering anxieties around class division and inequality in Europe in that era, the stark juxtaposition of power and eventual death feels incredibly potent, then and now. It also invites consideration of how historical forces shape individuals. Curator: It certainly speaks to the pervasive theme of mortality found throughout Renaissance art. Beyond the social context, prints also provided accessibility of imagery to the broader population at a time where that hadn't been the case. This type of piece could serve as an emblem in itself, meant to communicate powerful philosophical or religious ideas to an expanding audience. Editor: So you see the distribution of these images impacting larger trends and changes? I wonder if these prints also played a role in fueling anti-clerical sentiments by putting more art directly into homes and public spaces? Curator: That’s a thought. One that definitely encourages reflection on the influence of art on social discourse, certainly. Editor: Exactly! Considering art and power structures. A stark image for contemplating both personal and collective reckonings, however those present in our own world today. Curator: A small drawing, yet one filled with reminders of the inexorable march of time and mortality, made available through shifting modes of dissemination.