Battle in the Palace of Priam 1535 - 1555

Curator: Ah, "Battle in the Palace of Priam" – talk about drama etched in ink! This engraving, dating back to between 1535 and 1555, is by Jean Mignon and it's currently housed at The Met. What strikes you first about it? Editor: Chaos, definitely! A swirl of limbs and swords...a raw, visceral kind of energy. It's like witnessing a nightmare unfold—beautifully executed, yet profoundly disturbing. Curator: The artist really leaned into that whirlwind effect. Mignon’s known for his intricate linework, but here it really amplifies the sense of pandemonium. Look at how he uses the density of lines to suggest depth and shadow. Editor: It’s interesting, how the foreground figures are rendered with such precision, while the background kind of dissolves into a blur of architectural details and distant violence. Almost like a fading memory or an unreliable narrator recounting events. Curator: Exactly. There’s a tension between clarity and obscurity that's so effective. This is based on the fall of Troy, so the classical architecture provides a framework—even though it's crumbling around them. Notice how the verticality of the columns contrasts the bodies piled up at the base. Editor: I almost overlooked the figure on top, the guy nonchalantly holding what appears to be the story. To me, the story here seems like it's almost second to chaos, I keep coming back to the lines on the figures themselves; I suppose the style is what lends to that chaos. Curator: And notice how the architectural structures are both a testament to human ingenuity and also an indictment of the destructive side of humanity. Everything in its time... or perhaps out of it! Editor: True. A bit on the nose but its intent isn’t something to debate here. For me this speaks about humanity itself and humanitys tendencies towards both beauty and horror; beauty in that these moments of brutality are depicted. A complex dichotomy, which probably lends itself towards the confusion. Curator: Nicely said! "Confusion." It almost seems like that’s where beauty stems from: navigating through the things that scare us. Editor: In some cases, indeed it may. Thanks for allowing me to muse over this. Curator: It’s been my pleasure as well! Perhaps next time we look at artwork featuring slightly less gore... or more! Depends on where your journey takes you!