Diana geflankeerd door Minerva en Mercurius 1650

Wenceslaus Hollar made this print of etching around 1650, it depicts Diana flanked by Minerva and Mercury. It evokes an interest in the Levant through its references to classical antiquity and global exploration. This print was made in Brussels, a city with a robust print culture at the time, and served as a frontispiece to a travelogue. It suggests the commercial interests that Europeans had in the Eastern Mediterranean. Note how Diana, traditionally a Greco-Roman goddess of the hunt, is given distinctly Turkish features. Minerva and Mercury, flanking her, evoke the wealth of knowledge and trade which are preconditions of the early modern traveler's journey. The map and text are further aids to navigation and, indeed, exploitation. The cherubic figures at the base of the image signal the dawn of a new age of discovery. Historical analysis of this print requires an understanding of the economic and political context of early modern Europe. It also needs us to consider the traditions of printmaking and travel writing. These are important resources for interpreting the cultural meaning of Hollar’s work.