From "Bizzarie di varie Figure" 1624

Editor: This is "From 'Bizzarie di varie Figure'" made in 1624 by Giovanni Battista Bracelli, done with engraving. The figures appear to be constructed from coils and rings, almost like whimsical machines. How do we interpret these strange figures, especially thinking about what was being consumed at this time? Curator: Bracelli's figures, born from engraving, invite us to consider the "means of production". Look closely. Aren't these characters quite literally "constructed"? His method and use of "lowly" materials disrupts our assumptions regarding "high art". It isn't marble or paint, but an easily produced print. Do you find that commentary interesting? Editor: I do, especially thinking about the printmaking process making it easily and widely available. That gives a different weight than a singular, painted piece. So the form, coils and rings and such, and the way it’s delivered—as prints—opens up discussions around early modern material culture and class dynamics? Curator: Precisely. These figures, these forms, and, very importantly, *how* they were distributed speaks volumes about early 17th century commodification. It isn't simply an image, but an object produced for circulation, blurring the lines between art and craft, prompting considerations on labor and consumption itself. Editor: I never considered it in such a material way before, I was stuck on the composition and history of art aspect, I guess. I'm starting to see the image now as less precious and more as a produced commodity! Thanks for shifting my perspective. Curator: It’s my pleasure, to show that examining these elements grounds us to production and the wider economic circumstances that birthed this “Bizzarie.” Material matters always.