Halcyon and Herron 1580

Editor: This is Adriaen Collaert's "Halcyon and Herron," an undated print held at the Harvard Art Museums. The intricate lines depicting the birds and landscape are really striking. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: Consider the labor involved in this detailed engraving. The copperplate would have been meticulously worked. How might the cost and availability of such prints impact who had access to representations of the natural world? It democratizes it, somehow. Editor: That's a great point. It makes you wonder about the role of prints in disseminating knowledge and shaping perceptions of nature back then. Curator: Precisely. And what about the commodification of nature implied by the printing process itself? This was as much about commerce as it was about art. Editor: I hadn't considered that, but it's fascinating to think about how economics and art are intertwined, even in something that appears to be a simple depiction of birds. Thanks!