"Orthographia" pl.8 1680 - 1737

"Orthographia" pl.8 is an engraving by Johann Daniel Preissler, made sometime in the late 17th to early 18th century. Preissler lived during a period of significant social stratification, where artistic patronage was often tied to wealth and status. Looking at the image, you see ornamental designs which reflect the aesthetic preferences of the European elite, who had a desire for elaborate decoration. What is more, the cherubs, heraldic symbols, and stylized foliage suggest an idealized, even fantastical vision of power and lineage. These symmetrical compositions evoke the rigid social structures of the time, but, at the same time, there's something playful in the work. The way the ornamentation seems to dance across the page almost feels rebellious, as if these rigid forms are trying to escape their own constraints. One wonders about Preissler, and whether he ever thought his work would outlive the systems of power that commissioned it.