Roof van Proserpina 1620 - 1664

Editor: Here we have “Roof van Proserpina,” an engraving from sometime between 1620 and 1664, artist unknown, at the Rijksmuseum. The dramatic diagonal lines create such a sense of movement and tension! What jumps out to you when you see this print? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the technical labor involved in producing this image. Think about the engraver’s meticulous work with the burin, incising those lines into the metal plate. Each mark, each decision contributes to not only the image, but the larger system of its circulation. Editor: So, the *process* is paramount? Curator: Absolutely. And who was this anonymous engraver? This wasn’t necessarily considered "high art". It likely functioned within a complex system of workshops and commerce, possibly reproducing paintings. Also, consider the role this image might have played in the burgeoning print market. How accessible were engravings like this to different social classes? Editor: That makes me see it differently. I was just focusing on the surface narrative. Curator: The social context of its creation and consumption shapes our understanding of the artwork as much as its visual content. Notice the allegory. What was the original painting about? Editor: It looks like a woman being abducted... Persephone? How might knowing more about that allegory change your perspective? Curator: It contextualizes the *what* – but, again, focusing on the materials— the engraver’s burin, the ink, the paper– these bring the how and why into focus. It’s through those physical elements that we access a richer, more socially informed view. What do you make of that? Editor: I never considered the *means* like that before. Thank you! I’ll keep the production and consumption of the print in mind moving forward!