Philosophy by Giorgio Ghisi

Philosophy

1550

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Artwork details

Dimensions
51.4 x 80.9 cm (20 1/4 x 31 7/8 in.)
Location
Harvard Art Museums
Copyright
CC0 1.0

About this artwork

Editor: This is Giorgio Ghisi’s engraving, "Philosophy." It's incredibly detailed. How was this level of precision achieved in the 16th century? Curator: The engraving process itself is key. The labor-intensive method involves meticulously cutting lines into a metal plate. Each line represents the transfer of intellectual concept to a material reality. Note the social status implied by the garments: how do you see that reflected in the depiction of labor? Editor: I hadn't considered that! The clothing shows that work isn't always manual. Thank you for that insight.

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