Leopard and Tiger Hunt 1598

Editor: This is Antonio Tempesta's "Leopard and Tiger Hunt." It's hard to pin down the date, but Tempesta lived from 1555 to 1630. It feels quite chaotic, doesn't it? What strikes you about it? Curator: Chaotic, yes, but controlled chaos. All those spears pointing, that diagonal thrust into the landscape… it's like a baroque dance of death. Do you sense the exoticism they were trying to convey? Almost cartoonish, wouldn't you say? Editor: Definitely exotic, and I see what you mean about the "dance." I guess I was just seeing a lot of violence. Curator: It's both, really. Violence filtered through a European lens, a kind of fantasy of the hunt. This piece makes me question how cultures perceive each other. Editor: That's a fascinating way to look at it. I’ll definitely think about that next time.