Retorica 1510 - 1550

Curator: Welcome. Before us is "Retorica," an engraving crafted between 1510 and 1550 by Sebald Beham. The work is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. Editor: My first impression is that there is a kind of triumphant authority in the figure’s gesture and gaze, despite being rendered in such fine, almost delicate lines. There's a tension in this contrast. Curator: Indeed. The power of rhetoric is embodied in the figure, who is standing beside an open book inscribed with the work's title. Observe how Beham uses line weight and density to sculpt the form and create depth. The pen work to the shading of the garment are of note, no? Editor: Certainly. The figure's ornamentation is noteworthy, a visual declaration of authority – laurel wreath, armour – contrasting the softness of the flowing drapery around the lower body and adding dynamism to the otherwise formal pose. Isn’t it peculiar for the allegorical figure to have wings? The social conventions of rhetoric being expressed are an interesting point. Curator: Interesting analysis. Let’s consider this engraving within its historical context. Rhetoric was one of the three core liberal arts; grammar, logic, and rhetoric. This imagery then reinforces not just individual skills, but the structures upholding knowledge and its transmission in the early 16th century. How does this symbolism relate to the contemporary role of rhetoric? Editor: I can observe how our contemporary discourse is still largely dependent on it. Its visual presentation through Renaissance aesthetic and ideology of humanist virtues that shaped it and were shaped by it too is powerful. But the visual, rhetorical devices are interesting beyond their role in power and structure. Curator: Ultimately, Beham encourages us to not just acknowledge the technical skill displayed in this image but to recognize rhetoric’s complex dance between power, persuasion, and artistry within societal structures. Editor: It is a very compelling dance, to be sure, a beautifully articulated example of semiotic precision and enduring cultural value.