Book XXIX.36. Temples built to Fortna Primigenia as vowed {Tertiae Decadis Liber Nonus p. CLXXIII} 1493

Curator: Look at the raw energy of this anonymous print, "Book XXIX.36. Temples built to Fortna Primigenia as vowed." The stark black lines practically vibrate. Editor: It's a powerful image, a bit crude, yet captivating. You sense the plea for safety in the face of uncertain events. Curator: Note how the composition is split: a devotional scene on one side, a scene of maritime peril on the other. I'd wager the materiality of this piece was intentionally straightforward, woodcut perhaps. Editor: Given the content, I'm curious about its historical context. What role did votive offerings and temples play in public life back then? Curator: Likely, the act of commissioning such images, their printing and distribution, served to connect the supplicant directly to the deity and the promise made to her. Editor: It really underscores how art serves as both a personal and public declaration, shaping belief and behavior through imagery. Curator: Exactly. From its tangible form to its dissemination, this print reveals how the social dimensions of art often get overlooked. Editor: Yes. I now see in it both a devotional artifact and the political theater of its time.