Daphne 1564

Editor: So, this engraving is "Daphne" by Cornelis Cort, dating back to 1564. What strikes me is the tension, how Daphne is caught in the act of transformation. What do you make of it? Curator: The engraving immediately brings to mind the socioeconomic conditions that fostered this level of craft. Consider the materials themselves – the paper, the ink, the metal plate from which this print was made. The production was intensely collaborative and costly. Each element represents labor and resources, indicating a market for art consumption accessible only to a select few in society. Editor: I see what you mean. The act of printing creates multiples... So this image, originally destined for the elite, also has the *potential* to reach a wider audience through prints? Curator: Precisely. It democratizes the image somewhat, although we must remember who controlled the means of production. The artist and the publisher certainly profited from the labor of others. How does the “transformation” you noted factor into this analysis? Editor: That's a good question. Maybe the transformation into a tree is symbolic of changing the very materials of her being? Taking control of what's to be "consumed," so to speak? Curator: An astute reading! The figure's literal incorporation of organic materials speaks to Mannerism's broader interest in blurring those boundaries between humans and nature, culture and the "natural" world. This complicates that high/low art dichotomy even further! Editor: I never really thought about an artwork like this, thinking about how labor and resources go into just making an image. I always looked at the art itself! Curator: Well, now you have a better sense of just how many elements influence what we end up seeing, and appreciating!