Standing Goat c. 16th century

Editor: Here we have Antonio Tempesta's "Standing Goat." It's an etching, so it's all lines, but they create this impressive sense of volume and texture. What strikes you about the composition? Curator: Note the artist's masterful use of hatching and cross-hatching, building up tonal values to define the goat's form. Consider the density of lines versus areas of relative emptiness, which creates depth and contrast. Editor: So, the lines aren't just descriptive, but structural? Curator: Precisely. The linear design is not merely representational; it is fundamentally constitutive of the work's visual impact. Notice how the strategic use of line directs the viewer's eye and articulates the subject's mass. Editor: Fascinating, I hadn't considered the lines as having such a structural function. Curator: Indeed, it’s through the interplay of these formal elements that the image acquires its distinctive character.