Hispaniae 1558

Enea Vico created this engraving, Hispaniae, sometime between 1543 and 1567. The figure is a personification of Spain, represented as a woman in elaborate dress. Made in Italy, it's part of a series of prints depicting different countries. These images reflect the growing interest in mapping and classifying the world during the Renaissance. But this was also a period of intense political rivalry between European powers, especially Spain, so these images are far from neutral. Notice how Spain is depicted as wealthy and exotic, but also passive and perhaps vulnerable. Consider how this image may have been designed to circulate at the time. Was it a means of celebrating or critiquing Spanish power? To really understand the cultural work that this image was doing, we need to look at the artist's other works, as well as the print market in 16th century Europe. The meaning of art is always contingent on its historical and institutional context.