Plate depicting Ottavio Buffalino, from a series of twelve showing knights and their attendants dressed for a tournament (plate 5) 1565

Editor: This is plate 5 from a series of twelve prints created around 1565. They depict knights and their attendants dressed for a tournament and it seems an anonymous artist created them. Looking at it, I'm struck by the linear quality, and the rhythmic repetition of figures and horses. What stylistic elements stand out to you in this work? Curator: Note the emphasis on line and form, creating a flattened picture plane. There's minimal shading. See how the engraver's marks articulate surface textures, defining each figure and horse separately, and how that careful delineation builds intricate patterns? Editor: Yes, it almost feels like a study in texture because of how consistent the marks are. Curator: Precisely! Observe the composition: horizontal registers containing processions of figures. Do these remind you of any other stylistic arrangements? Editor: Like friezes! The lines and repetition almost create the sense of motion across a wide, but shallow stage. Are these divisions functional? Curator: Indeed. Consider how each "scene" is compartmentalized and functions independently, yet relates to the overarching formal qualities. This rhythmic articulation structures your gaze through the different variations in costume and figure placement. How would you consider the role of those names etched above each little “scene?” Editor: So, are you suggesting that our attention is less focused on who the knights were, but how their form and attire contributes to the overall pattern of the piece? Curator: An insightful distinction! We see the visual system take precedent over any biographical component of these knights and their tournament. Editor: I hadn't considered that, but now I can appreciate how the linear quality of the print and its emphasis on form transforms how we understand this work. Curator: A pleasure, as always, to explore form and structure as tools of engagement with visual experience.