Banquet of Alexander 1540 - 1550

Curator: Ah, Domenico del Barbiere's "Banquet of Alexander," an etching on paper dating from about 1540 to 1550. It's part of the Met's collection here in New York. It feels like peeking into a fever dream... sort of overwhelming, no? Editor: Intensely. The scene pulses with a chaotic energy. Masses of figures interwoven, hard to know what the nature of their interaction is. But their clothing is the signifier for class divisions—sumptuous draperies vs nakedness as well as in various states of repose. Are we supposed to assume that some bodies are of higher social standing or is this merely aesthetic rendering to emphasize strength or vulnerability within the tableau? Curator: It’s that Mannerist style, definitely plays with exaggeration, complexity... think of it as intentional unease. See how Barbiere stuffs the space, but also creates areas of intense detail against almost sketched-in elements? Like a stage set with a whole play happening, or about to. Editor: Yes! Like figures from different narratives are superimposed in one single instant, all occupying the same plane, rather than allowing space for individuals' motivations, histories, or the psychological insight that would enable recognition as distinct people with individual motivations rather than allegorical representations of different historical accounts Curator: You know, I wonder if it's also a comment on Alexander himself. I mean, "the Banquet of Alexander" - legendary excess... Barbiere seems almost skeptical. What kind of legacy do you build, gorging on the world? Editor: Indeed. There's this thread running through the piece; it's hard not to notice, especially given our current conversations on representation: so many men together in various positions of power and vulnerability is a perfect representation of society itself: performative displays, self-importance coupled by constant insecurity and self-aggrandizing ambitions. Curator: And technique wise...that obsessive hatching in the engraving emphasizes that sort of unsettling, vibrating feel. Like the very ink is restless. It gives the viewer a visceral rather than historical feeling when observing what's displayed and makes Alexander's era all the more potent. Editor: The layering becomes so dense that it creates its own shadow, pulling forward and receding at once, destabilizing the clear articulation or linear logic that can usually grant a single unifying narrative structure for interpreting visual information in early modern art pieces. A clever intervention on his part... It provokes a conversation. Curator: Absolutely. This piece stays with you. I appreciate Barbiere's unsettling choices. Gives Alexander pause, I hope. Editor: Yes! I completely agree. It disrupts expectations and asks us to look a little deeper than the mythologized stories allow, compelling interrogation around structures embedded not just then but continue informing us today, too