Mercury Punishes Battus c. 17th century

Editor: So, this is Moyses van Uyttenbroeck's "Mercury Punishes Battus," it's a very small etching. The detail is amazing, but it’s quite dark. What do you see in the ways he’s using the materials to tell this story? Curator: The etching process itself—the labor, the acid biting into the metal plate—speaks to power dynamics. Mercury, a figure of authority, is made manifest through this industrialized process of image production. How might the consumption of this image reinforce social hierarchies? Editor: So, the very act of creating and distributing this image reinforces power? I hadn't thought of it that way. Curator: Exactly. And think about who had access to such prints. The materiality of the etching connects directly to the social context. Editor: That's fascinating; it gives a whole new dimension to appreciating this piece!