Procession of Monstrous Figures 1615

Editor: Wendel Dietterlin the Younger's "Procession of Monstrous Figures", created around 1615, is a bewildering, strange parade. It has such an unsettling atmosphere. What do you make of this procession? Curator: It's certainly a striking image, and very much a product of its time. Consider the historical context: it comes from the Mannerist period. What role do you think representations of the grotesque, like these, played in society back then? Editor: Well, seeing such exaggerated, almost nightmarish figures...did it reflect societal anxieties or offer a form of catharsis, perhaps? Curator: Exactly. These "monstrous figures" are less about pure aesthetic representation and more about the anxieties bubbling beneath the surface. Look at the prominent display of these figures in prints - consider prints as the mass media of the day. Their availability speaks to a widespread fascination, doesn’t it? The art market, the patrons and consumers, actively fueled this kind of imagery. Editor: So, this print, even with its outlandish characters, could be seen as a commentary on societal anxieties that are actively promoted, like the evening news might today? Curator: Precisely. Also, we see caricatures, an exaggeration of reality, and figuration, playing with accepted ways of seeing and representing human likeness. Were you to encounter this print outside a museum context, what role do you think this image may have fulfilled for viewers? Editor: Hmm, maybe in some instances it helped fuel anti-establishment feelings by showing important leaders of the day as ugly or stupid looking, or maybe just to create strange entertainment in the household. Curator: Yes! What strikes you most about how the composition directs our eye? Editor: The linear composition really pulls the eye across all the figures. The flow implies the progression is non-stopping, which to me almost alludes to time as fleeting and life being ephemeral. Looking at this through your point of view has made me realize how deeply socio-political forces influence not just the art itself but how the audience interacts with it!