Zenobia, from Pierre Le Moyne's "La Gallerie des femmes fortes" 1642 - 1652

Editor: This is "Zenobia, from Pierre Le Moyne's 'La Gallerie des femmes fortes'," an engraving by Abraham Bosse from between 1642 and 1652. What strikes me most is the figure's imposing stance and the almost theatrical drapery. How would you approach interpreting this print? Curator: Focusing purely on the visual elements, let us examine the interplay of lines. Notice the density of hatching creating chiaroscuro effects, particularly around Zenobia's figure. Consider how this technique defines her form and imbues it with a certain monumentality. The diagonal lines create a sense of movement. What does this visual dynamism suggest? Editor: Perhaps it suggests a sort of power or forward momentum. I see how the lines give volume and texture to the fabric too. But how do we address the subject's somewhat unusual costuming? Curator: The costuming contributes to the overall visual spectacle. Is it, or is it not, historically accurate? My concern is how its intricate detail serves the compositional whole. Consider the lines tracing from her headpiece, down through the folds of drapery to the small band of hunters in the lower background. Does this create unity and dynamism? Editor: It does! I never considered it that way before. It unifies the different parts into a single compositional movement, almost like a spiral, which begins and ends with Zenobia herself! Thank you. Curator: It's through this formal consideration, appreciating line and movement and form, that the piece becomes, at the very least, compelling to explore!