Jupiter verleidt Callisto 1687 - 1708

Editor: This engraving by Pieter van der Plas II, titled "Jupiter seducing Callisto," from between 1687 and 1708, strikes me as quite... baroque in its overt theatricality. What is the context surrounding images like this? Curator: Considering the Baroque period's focus on dramatic expression and the church as the great consumer of arts, prints like these disseminated imagery widely. We must consider their function: Were these images of mythology, specifically the tale of Jupiter's deception of Callisto, a kind of moralising fable circulating among elites or aiming at a broader audience? Editor: So, the dissemination mattered as much as the content? Did the culture consume these classical myths for entertainment, or did they see them as instruction? Curator: The proliferation of such scenes tells us much about the art market. Who was commissioning these prints, and who was buying them? Note how Jupiter is partly clothed in armor, but Callisto is nude. These gendered presentations mattered in that era. How does this power dynamic impact your interpretation? Editor: I hadn't thought about it in terms of a power dynamic, but you are right: his body is partly covered by his status symbol. And how Callisto’s exposed vulnerability emphasizes it, it is a gendered portrayal reinforcing social hierarchies! What role would academies play at this point? Curator: Academies regularized artistic practice, offering patronage and validation, yet the open market remained vital, particularly for printmakers. Their output, disseminated broadly, engaged with social values. The popularity of mythological scenes like this raises a question: How did printmakers adapt classical narratives to reflect and reinforce the prevailing social order? Editor: It is amazing to consider how art can mirror and influence public opinion at the same time. Curator: Precisely. And reflecting on who consumed art like this gives a new perspective on societal priorities of that time.