Venus met brandend hart 1599 - 1600

Curator: Let's consider Jacob Matham’s engraving, “Venus with a Burning Heart,” dating from 1599-1600, residing at the Rijksmuseum. How does the fact that this image exists as a print – reproducible, saleable, and distributed widely – inform your initial understanding? Editor: Well, I'm struck by its intricate detail despite it being a print. The lines are so fine. The subject is engaging, and I would love to understand the symbols present. How do you interpret the piece through the lens of its materials and social context? Curator: I see a work deeply embedded in the burgeoning print culture. Engraving, as a technique, allowed for the commodification of Venus, turning her into a readily available object of desire and knowledge. Notice the latin text inscribed around the artwork - who would have owned this print, what might they have used it for? This makes it interesting to analyze from the perspectives of gender and consumption, as the female figure, or perhaps rather the means to her image, becomes a consumer product. The act of creation and its impact become almost as vital to contemplate as what we see here. Editor: So you are saying that this image wouldn't necessarily be about a 'portrait' of Venus, but instead about commerce and accessibility? Curator: Precisely! This moves us away from simple iconographic readings. The availability of prints dramatically altered art consumption and interpretation. How does the burning heart – a symbol we now readily associate with love – acquire meaning and value when divorced from unique artwork and mass-produced? The labour involved in production is very different between these two instances. How do our associations shift as the access broadens? Editor: That’s a fascinating way to look at it! I hadn't considered how the very act of creating and distributing prints like these could shift our understanding of Venus, her symbols and mythology. Curator: Indeed. By considering its production, materials, and intended market, the Venus print tells us not just about art but also about the society that produced and consumed it. A culture's aspirations and ideals reflected in an infinitely reproducible image.