Mary, Queen of Scots 1655 - 1725

Curator: Ah, here we are in front of the engraving of Mary, Queen of Scots, dating roughly from 1655 to 1725. Johann Alexander Böner is credited with its creation. Editor: It’s intensely melancholic, isn't it? The stark lines, the pale rendering, there's a fragility to the Queen's face that suggests premonition, or perhaps regret? It’s not exactly uplifting. Curator: Given the process of engraving, I think what strikes me here is the craft— the sheer labor involved in meticulously carving those lines into a metal plate. Consider the layers of skill required to capture her likeness. You need the draftsmanship, an intimate knowledge of the tools, and also that alchemy of transforming historical and emotional heft into something physically reproducible. Editor: Absolutely. She's adorned with signifiers of her Catholic faith: rosary beads, a crucifix. Note that this engraving was done well after her execution; do you think it romanticizes her piety in light of the Protestant English throne’s role in her demise? Was this meant as a symbol of defiance, of a lost cause perhaps? Curator: That's an astute observation. The inclusion of these symbols likely functioned as a statement for viewers, nodding toward the politics surrounding her life and death. Engravings like this circulated widely, allowing for the dissemination of particular viewpoints or political messaging. One imagines who was buying it and displaying it, right? Editor: It is striking how printmaking democratizes the image, providing access to royal portraiture beyond courtly circles. And let's face it, an engraving, for all its artistic merit, is also a commodity, an object to be bought, sold, and circulated within a burgeoning market. Curator: And that thought certainly shifts my own thinking: from the spiritual aspect to how faith might influence commerce. Editor: It's fascinating how much an artist can communicate through line, tone, and object, isn’t it? A sad queen, rendered to question power relations. Curator: Indeed, from devotion to political statement to commodity, the piece offers quite a lot to consider.