Fortune 1600 - 1649

Curator: Here we have an engraving titled "Fortune," likely created sometime between 1600 and 1649 by an anonymous artist. What strikes you about it? Editor: Well, I'm immediately drawn to the figure in the center. He seems so self-assured, almost defiant, standing there naked amidst all the chaos surrounding him. And is that a sea monster down there? What's with that baby riding it? It's definitely...busy. What do you make of it all? Curator: Ah, "busy" is the perfect word! To me, it feels like a baroque dance between confidence and fragility, doesn't it? The nude figure, he's likely Fortuna herself – though, traditionally, she’s female. Standing on a globe made of… skulls?! Quite the statement about the foundation of fortune. And look closer; is she *controlling* that billowing sail, or being blown about? The children feel like hints to future luck to come or go… do you agree? Editor: I see what you mean, especially with the cherubs. Is it me or do some of the cherubs seems burdened or troubled rather than simply playful or cherubic? The wind god up top, puffing away like a steam engine. Is this all about the whims of fate then, do you think? Curator: Precisely! And consider the medium: engraving. Such precise, controlled lines used to depict something so inherently volatile. Irony, perhaps? A way to capture something that inherently cannot be! Do you feel that the anonymous creator succeeds? Editor: That contrast is so interesting. I'd not considered the work put in for each precise mark. Despite all of the crazy activity of Fortune herself, of cherubs, a wind god, and of what look like sea serpents I still think the control given to Fortune's figure as the main subject adds to her persona, don't you think? Curator: Absolutely. And those details draw the eye... even those cheeky cherubs. Each little vignette speaks to a different aspect of chance. It's a visual feast – albeit a slightly unsettling one. Fortune, after all, isn't always kind. Editor: It definitely gives me a lot to think about. It's so much more than just a pretty picture; it's like a whole philosophy on the randomness of life crammed into one engraving. I never considered engravings could feel so epic.