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Artwork
Pumpkins Used as Dwellings to Be Secure against Wild Beasts
Filippo MorghenCleveland Museum of ArtCleveland1764
0 moments on Art Journal
- Technique
- etching
- Dimensions
- Image and Plate: 28 x 38.7 cm (11 x 15 1/4 in.); Sheet: 42 x 53.3 cm (16 9/16 x 21 in.)
Pumpkins Used as Dwellings to Be Secure against Wild Beasts is a print by Filippo Morghen (Italian, 1730–after 1807), about 1769. etching; Image and Plate: 28 x 38.7 cm (11 x 15 1/4 in.); Sheet: 42 x 53.3 cm (16 9/16 x 21 in.). It is part of the Prints collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
How to reflect if you encounter this artwork?
- Notice how the etching technique conveys texture and depth in the depiction of pumpkins transformed into shelters, inviting you to imagine their sturdiness against wild beasts.
- Consider the imaginative concept of using pumpkins as dwellings, and reflect on what this might say about human creativity or resourcefulness in the 18th century.
- Observe the interplay between the natural forms of the pumpkins and the architectural elements suggesting security, and think about how this blend influences the mood or message of the artwork.
- Reflect on the era of 1764 and how this fantastical image might relate to contemporary fears or hopes about safety and protection from dangers in the natural world.
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