Text (border, upper left) c. 17th century

Curator: This text border by Jacques Callot, now at Harvard, presents interesting questions about the intersection of art and power. What strikes you about it? Editor: It looks like a dedication, maybe for King Louis XIII? What's fascinating is how Callot frames the text with such an elaborate cartouche. What would this have been used for? Curator: Exactly. Consider the role of printed imagery in solidifying royal power. Callot was commissioned to create images that served a clear political function. How does the design itself contribute to this? Editor: The winged figures seem celebratory, and the Latin text feels authoritative. It's like a visual proclamation. Curator: Precisely. The choice of Latin, the classical motifs... all reinforce the king's legitimacy by linking him to a grand historical narrative. A very deliberate form of image-making. Editor: I hadn't considered the performative aspect of printmaking in shaping public opinion. Thanks!