Ignorance and Mercury n.d.

Editor: This is "Ignorance and Mercury," a print made by Andrea Mantegna sometime during the Renaissance. I'm immediately struck by how densely packed the figures are, particularly in the shadowy area, which gives a feeling of being trapped. What do you see in this piece? Curator: For me, it's a powerful statement about the societal role of art and knowledge. Look how Mantegna stages Mercury, the god of reason, pulling people out of this pit, literally rescuing them from ignorance. It reflects the Renaissance humanist ideal of elevating mankind through classical learning. Notice, too, the figure of Virtue partially destroyed – this is very much a statement about the perceived state of society. Editor: That makes sense. So, the chaos in the pit represents ignorance, and Mercury is…education? But who would have seen this image? I mean, was it for the general public? Curator: Precisely. Prints like these had a crucial public function. Consider the development of printmaking as a new media technology in that historical moment; it allowed artists like Mantegna to circulate their ideas, shaping cultural and intellectual discourse amongst learned elites. Editor: It’s like an early form of mass communication. But it's also kind of unsettling to think of knowledge as a tool to 'rescue' people. Does it carry some sense of elitism? Curator: That’s a sharp observation! The engraving absolutely reflects the hierarchies of its time. Whose ignorance are we talking about, and who gets to define ‘virtue’ or ‘reason’? And notice the visual emphasis, it's all directed on Mercury pulling folks out. What message is it sending about free will or socio-political progress? Editor: I never thought about the image having a subtle class structure. I came away with understanding the work having been a symbol of renaissance society being freed from ignorance. Curator: And seeing it today encourages you to inspect such symbols of cultural pride from the Italian Renaissance period, while also challenging to consider whose freedom is valorized, as you mentioned before!