Landschap met Mercurius en Argus 1535 - 1604

Étienne Dupérac made this small landscape scene with etching, sometime in the 16th century. The print portrays a mythological story: Mercury lulls Argus to sleep with his flute before killing him. Dupérac, living in a time of religious conflict and social change, situates the drama within an expansive landscape. The rolling hills and distant buildings give us a sense of the world outside of this act of violence. The landscape itself might even be read as a character. What does it mean for the land to be a silent witness to such personal, targeted violence? How does it reflect or absorb this act? The myth of Mercury and Argus is about power, deception, and ultimately, loss. I’m struck by the silence of the scene; the quiet before and after violence is unleashed. The artist makes us consider the relationship between individuals, their actions, and the spaces they inhabit.