Trojanen nemen Sinon gevangen 1663

Editor: This engraving from 1663 by Giuseppe Maria Mitelli, titled "Trojans Capture Sinon", is fascinating. The frenzied energy practically jumps off the page. The expressions are quite dramatic. What do you see in this piece, beyond the immediate chaos? Curator: Indeed, the chaos is central. Consider Sinon. Here, he embodies the archetype of the deceptive outsider, a figure distrusted across cultures and eras. The Trojans, blinded by pride and manipulated by Sinon’s false narrative, drag him. What symbols resonate most strongly with you from the classical narrative? Editor: The horse, certainly. But here it’s in the background. More than a symbol, it feels more like the embodiment of impending doom lurking in the distance! It does make me wonder if the artist assumes we know the whole story and therefore can appreciate the weight of this very loaded symbol! Curator: Precisely. Mitelli counts on the cultural memory of his audience, their familiarity with Virgil's Aeneid, to give weight to the scene. This speaks to how shared narratives shape our understanding of events, past and present, no? Think of propaganda… the “stories” nations tell to rally people together. Editor: Wow, that's really insightful, how visual symbols link the Trojan War to modern ideas of nationhood and deception. Curator: The longevity of Sinon’s archetype forces us to consider why societies continue to fear and demonize the “other”. This is why the images resonate, because it exposes a fundamental psychology, even today. Editor: That’s given me a lot to consider about how images build on one another over time. Thanks so much. Curator: My pleasure.