Drie Dorische kroonlijsten gedecoreerd met rolwerk, mascarons en guirlandes 1593 - 1595

Editor: This engraving from around 1593 by Wendel Dietterlin depicts three elaborate Doric cornices. There's something almost overwhelming about the density of detail, these strange faces and flourishes popping out of what's supposedly just architectural decoration. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: What strikes me is the performative aspect of these architectural drawings. These weren't working blueprints for construction sites, but rather a display of virtuosity. Consider how Dietterlin positions himself within a broader cultural trend: the rise of architectural treatises. This print and others like it acted almost as propaganda, shaping aesthetic tastes and demonstrating the patron's refined knowledge and power. Editor: So it’s not really about, like, building a house, but showing off? Curator: Exactly! It's about curating an image of ideal architecture. These images circulate among elite circles and influence architectural style. It also raises interesting questions about accessibility. Who had access to these prints, and how did that shape the architectural landscape of the period? Look at the repetition of motifs and ask: who decides what makes it into these idealized images, and who is left out? Editor: That’s interesting; I hadn’t thought about how exclusionary it might be. Curator: Think about the labor involved to create, distribute, and purchase such engravings and how it was inaccessible to the masses. Also, who could afford architecture on such a grand, decorative scale? It prompts reflection on wealth and power and their material expression through art. It makes you wonder what kind of statement these architectural choices send about wealth and control, doesn't it? Editor: Definitely gives me a lot to consider about how art and social structures are intertwined! Curator: Yes! I see this piece in dialogue with other forms of artistic patronage, each reinforcing and amplifying certain social and cultural values, whether they concern religion, wealth, or military strength.