Rhetoric (Retorique) 1540 - 1583

Etienne Delaune created this engraving, "Rhetoric," sometime in the 16th century. Here, an allegorical figure embodies the art of rhetoric. In Renaissance Europe, rhetoric was central to education, politics, and social life, and, as such, it was the domain of powerful, land owning, Christian men. Note the visual markers of this power: architectural motifs, classical drapery, and the book, all suggesting authority and knowledge. But consider the other figures surrounding "Rhetoric," who seem excluded from the main event. What do their gestures and expressions suggest about the boundaries of this art? Delaune's "Rhetoric" prompts us to question who has the right to speak, whose voices are amplified, and whose are marginalized within systems of power. Perhaps we can imagine "Rhetoric" as both a celebration of eloquence and a reminder of the social inequities embedded in the pursuit of persuasive communication.