Title Page 1630

Editor: Here we have Peter Aubry's "Title Page" from 1630, an engraving on paper. The intricate ornamental details immediately catch the eye, yet there's a peculiar, almost unsettling face nestled within. What do you make of the imagery present here? Curator: The prominence of ornamentation suggests a culture steeped in heraldry, with the face acting as a visual anchor. This engraving offers us an insight into Baroque sensibilities and what iconography it borrowed and reshaped. Notice the contrast between the controlled detail of the floral-esque swirls and the wildness of the face. Where do you think this face derives from? What feeling does the combination evoke? Editor: Given the period, my first thought goes to classical mythology – maybe a satyr or a green man figure representing nature? The overall effect is of controlled wildness. Curator: Precisely. Consider the long history of the grotesque in art, figures that are meant to be both humorous and frightening. The engraver borrows from this visual tradition, playing on established emotional responses and memories to make this particular title page pop visually and stay fixed in memory. The symmetry is deceiving here because we keep returning to that very asymmetrical, individual face. Do you think this engraving would resonate today? Editor: Absolutely. The contrast and the grotesque imagery, with its play of humor and unease, would feel surprisingly modern. It’s amazing to see those threads connect across centuries. Curator: Yes, understanding visual traditions allows us to observe how past cultures used symbolic language, and it gives us ways to look into present cultural continuities and breaks.