Grammatica, from "The Seven Liberal Arts" 1500 - 1550

Editor: This is "Grammatica, from 'The Seven Liberal Arts'," an engraving by Sebald Beham, dating from sometime between 1500 and 1550. It's an allegorical figure, and it's got such incredible detail for a print! What really strikes me is the figure's foot resting on a sphere and the alphabet displayed to the side... How do you interpret this work? Curator: The alphabet and the sphere provide a framework to deconstruct this piece, especially through a modern lens. This print acts as an early infographic to visualize knowledge production within the social and political structures of the time. Who was in control of writing, reading, and therefore the dissemination of ideas? Editor: I see what you mean. The figure looks so powerful and imposing. It makes me wonder about access to knowledge back then. Curator: Exactly. Consider the role of the church, the aristocracy, and the guilds in controlling access to literacy. Who was systematically excluded? How did gender, class, and race play a role? The "liberal arts" were, after all, for the elite, often reinforcing existing power structures. What does this artwork suggest to you about who was *not* included in that circle? Editor: So, by displaying the power of language so literally, Beham inadvertently shows who language *doesn’t* empower? This wasn't just a neutral representation of "Grammar" then? Curator: Precisely! By analyzing these images, we can unpack the complex web of privilege and oppression inherent in knowledge systems. Editor: This really changes how I see it. I'll definitely think differently about "classic" allegories now. Curator: That is the power of intersectional analysis—revealing the hidden stories within seemingly straightforward images.