Psyche als godin aanbeden door het volk 1602

Curator: This engraving, "Psyche as Goddess Adored by the People", was made in 1602 by Antonio da Trento. Editor: The immediate thing that strikes me is the incredible detail achievable with printmaking during that era, the octagonal shape too makes it distinct and unusual, lending it a quality as a study for something grander. Curator: Precisely! The visual language used reflects an ongoing fascination with the tale of Psyche, a mortal whose beauty threatened Venus and eventually becomes immortal through love, that had particular resonance in Renaissance thinking about earthly and divine beauty. Editor: Let's not ignore the economic component! Making prints meant stories and artistic styles could be more readily and widely consumed. Consider the social function this work provided by increasing the accessibility and desirability of mythological subjects for collectors beyond the elites. Curator: Absolutely, the wide circulation also helped to further crystallize certain artistic canons, codifying interpretations and moral lessons gleaned from classical myths. Think about how this scene presents a transition. Psyche’s mortal status and suffering are visually juxtaposed with her elevation to the divine, echoing humanity’s spiritual aspirations. Editor: And technically, an engraving involved a very particular division of labor. An artist prepares the image, but a skilled craftsperson carves into the metal plate, which demands precision to allow the circulation of images through these labor-intensive activities. You are completely reliant on workshops and specialists for the end product. Curator: Indeed, the artist had to rely on skilled hands and craft practices to render emotion. This piece, like others of the era, is a meditation on the possibilities available through transformation whether through the skill of its artisans or its story. The octagonal form can be also seen as a symbolic reference. The number 8 is usually associated with transformation. Editor: Looking at the materiality, at a tangible printed impression of this myth today reminds us of the collective material effort. Curator: A shared creative act, mirroring the collective veneration depicted in the engraving itself, bringing divine status to this allegorical person.