The Prophet Aaron, from Prophets and Sibyls 1480 - 1490

Curator: Looking at Francesco Rosselli’s “The Prophet Aaron, from Prophets and Sibyls,” created around 1480-1490, what are your initial thoughts? Editor: There’s a severity to this print. Aaron seems confined, rigid, almost uncomfortable on his seat, which makes me think about power, but also maybe its burdens during the Italian Renaissance. Curator: It's interesting to consider Rosselli’s likely process. As an engraving, it suggests a laborious process of carving into a metal plate, carefully laying down each line to produce the final image we see printed. Each strike, each cut… time was really etched into its production! Editor: Exactly, and consider the context! This wasn't mass production as we know it. This engraving served a purpose, a statement. The inscriptions are worth diving into. They emphasize divine power, referencing a lineage. Curator: The image of Aaron holding a serpent-staff hints at healing and perhaps manipulation. Rosselli chose to emphasize certain aspects—the texture of Aaron’s beard, the details of his robes, but also that compelling staff. What might those emphasize? Editor: Definitely, and don't overlook that the setting is ambiguous! No context given beyond the figure itself. The work prompts contemplation about the figure himself in terms of divine authority within that specific moment in time. I think there's so much to be said about how authority shifts between different people and power structures. It really puts a spotlight on how identity and its display—religion, in this case—can act like a source of contention for various cultural and socio-political ideologies. Curator: Yes, the details definitely spark questions. The use of engraving, its very nature, communicates something of his moment as well. Editor: It has this lasting, thought-provoking effect. What at first seems straightforward—a dignified portrait of a religious figure—really unravels upon closer examination to show how complicated socio-political status truly is.