Text (border, lower left) c. 17th century

Editor: This engraving, "Text (border, lower left)," by Jacques Callot, seems like an annotated map or document. It’s quite text-heavy! What symbols or meanings stand out to you? Curator: Notice how the text is framed, almost like a scroll or a proclamation. The elaborate border gives the words authority, suggesting a record of important events. Do you see the repetition of certain place names? These repeated references weave a narrative, anchoring the viewer to specific locations and their associated histories. The text itself becomes a symbolic landscape, charged with cultural memory. Editor: So, the text itself becomes a symbol? Curator: Exactly! It’s not just about what’s written, but how it's presented. Callot uses the visual form of the text to amplify its meaning. Editor: Fascinating, I never thought of text carrying symbolic weight in that way. Curator: Visual language holds immense power, even within the written word.