Facetious Inventions of Love and War c. 17th century

Curator: Francois Collignon's etching, "Facetious Inventions of Love and War," presents a curious pairing. Editor: They do look mismatched, don't they? Something about their forced proximity feels… performative. Is it satire, perhaps? Curator: Indeed! The figures, with their exaggerated features and somewhat awkward interaction, remind me of characters from commedia dell'arte. Notice how their costumes amplify their roles? Editor: The gentleman's floppy hat and the lady's towering hair—it's all so deliberately constructed. Like symbols of status, wealth, or maybe even folly. Curator: I see the echo of traditional morality plays too. Love and War—the great human dramas—reduced to a humorous, almost grotesque pantomime. Editor: It's interesting how this image, despite its small size, seems to contain such a grand narrative. Curator: Exactly! It invites us to reflect on the follies of our own "facetious inventions" and maybe not take ourselves quite so seriously. Editor: Well put. I see this little etching as a pocket-sized mirror to the human condition.