Diana 1529

Editor: Here we have "Diana," a 1529 engraving in ink by Monogrammist IB. It’s a figure study, almost austere in its presentation, despite the mythological subject. The hatching is incredible, really giving shape to the drapery. What stands out to you? Curator: Well, immediately, I’m drawn to the material realities behind this “Diana.” Consider the engraver’s labor: the meticulous cuts into the metal plate, the physicality of the printing process itself. This wasn’t some ethereal vision; it was a crafted object produced through skilled labor. Look at how that labour interacts with consumption through print culture and the dissemination of images. What socioeconomic class was most likely the audience for such prints? Editor: That's fascinating. So you're thinking about who would own it and how they'd use it? Was it purely for decoration or for something else entirely? Curator: Exactly. And notice how the artist uses humble materials – ink and paper – to represent luxury and power. Diana is a goddess but rendered through everyday materials. This tension, between the material and the symbolic, is central. And what about the lobster underfoot? That creature, too, has its own materiality and cultural connotations linked to consumption and trade. Editor: Right, so it’s not just a pretty picture of a goddess; it's a statement about production, consumption, and social status in the 16th century? Curator: Precisely. The very act of creating multiple copies through engraving democratized the image of Diana, challenging the elite's monopoly on representation. How does understanding its production alter our view of its aesthetic value? Editor: I never thought about it that way! Thinking about the physical labor and materials gives me a whole new perspective. I always considered it an object to behold, not an object *of* beholders! Curator: That’s the power of a materialist lens: it roots the artwork in its social and economic context, transforming it from a mere aesthetic object into a tangible record of human activity and cultural value.