Title Page, with Neptune, Flora, an Image of the Globe, and Portraits of Explorers c. 1595

Curator: Adriaen Collaert's "Title Page, with Neptune, Flora, an Image of the Globe, and Portraits of Explorers" is an engraving. The density of the line work, the very *making* of this image, interests me most. Editor: It’s incredible how much detail he achieved with just lines! What do you see in this piece beyond the technical skill? Curator: I see a celebration of global power and commerce, built, literally, on exploiting labor and resources. Consider the materials required: the paper, the ink, the metal plate used for engraving – each with its own network of production and impact. Editor: So, you're saying it’s not just about the image itself, but also about the resources and labor that made it possible? Curator: Precisely. The means of production become central to understanding its meaning and impact. This work, though beautiful, represents a complex system of resource extraction. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t considered. I appreciate learning to look at art this way. Curator: Indeed, questioning the materiality behind the image gives us a richer understanding.