King John c. 18th century

Curator: Immediately, I’m struck by the stark lines of this engraving—the meticulous hatching that defines form. Editor: This is "King John," an engraving by George Vertue. Vertue, who lived from 1684 to 1756, captured a likeness of the infamous monarch. Curator: Likeness indeed. I notice how the crown feels almost too large, as if weighing him down, a symbol perhaps of the burdens of rule. Editor: Or perhaps that's Vertue drawing on the symbolic weight of the crown itself, beyond the man who wears it. King John, often seen as a villain in the Robin Hood narratives. Curator: Right. The floral border, almost suffocating the portrait, further speaks to this sense of constraint. Editor: I see more of a tension between order and the natural world. Vertue was fascinated by history. Curator: Absolutely, and he gives us a potent symbolic interpretation of power through formal design. Editor: Vertue offers us a glimpse into the past, shaped by his own era and understanding.