Bevoegdheid of Vermogen c. 1585 - 1590

Editor: Here we have Philips Galle’s engraving, "Bevoegdheid of Vermogen," made around 1585-1590. It’s on toned paper and portrays a rather commanding female figure. What strikes me most is her powerful physique juxtaposed with the delicate lines of the engraving. What stands out to you? Curator: Immediately, I’m drawn to the contrast inherent in its production. We see the engraver meticulously crafting an image representing “Potestas,” or power, using materials that would have been readily available, though not necessarily easily mastered. Galle, by choosing engraving, a reproducible medium, makes power – both divine and earthly represented by the sword and the branch – accessible for wider consumption. Consider how this availability challenges singular authority of the church in distributing iconography. Editor: That's fascinating. So the act of creating multiple prints itself embodies a form of power? Curator: Precisely. The production process becomes part of the message. Galle, through the engraving technique and the materiality of the print itself, democratizes this idea of “Potestas." Notice how the labor-intensive nature of engraving mirrors the disciplined authority that "Potestas" signifies? Is the physical act of making relevant to interpretation of meaning here? Editor: I hadn’t thought about that direct relationship before, but it makes complete sense. I was so focused on the image; you’ve opened up the meaning by considering how it was produced and who consumed it. Curator: The image and its materiality are intertwined in a historical, economic and social web of meanings. It's about power represented but also the power to represent.