Jupiter 1585

Curator: There's a real sense of drama in this engraving. The god Jupiter looms large, almost too big for the frame. Editor: Indeed! This is "Jupiter" by Johann Sadeler I. Look at the sharp detail rendered in the plate. He lords over the world from his celestial chariot. It’s a piece brimming with power, an overwhelming sense of divine right. Curator: Well, engravings like this were often commissioned by wealthy patrons to project an image of dominance. Consider the socio-political implications, the reinforcement of class structures... Editor: Maybe, but the composition is so captivating. The way the eagles seem to burst forth from the clouds, carrying Jupiter above that impossibly detailed landscape, it’s like a dream. Curator: I see it more as a visualization of authority in a period of immense societal change. Editor: Perhaps it is both. A dream of power and a portrait of the times.