Forward by Giovanni Alto of Lucerne, Switzerland, Official of the Swiss Guard

Curator: Here we have Giacomo Lauro's "Forward by Giovanni Alto of Lucerne, Switzerland, Official of the Swiss Guard." Editor: Well, my first impression is, I can’t read it! It's a wall of antique text. It feels incredibly dense and self-important. Curator: Indeed. It’s a title page, essentially, from 1641. Lauro created it to introduce a collection of engravings he produced, and this particular plate is held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: So it’s an advertisement, really? Who was it trying to reach? Curator: Lauro mentions wanting to satisfy the curiosity of "nations beyond the mountains," suggesting an international audience interested in antiquities and Roman grandeur. Editor: I suppose there’s a kind of art to that early printing. Still, I can't help but wonder how many people actually read all of that back then, or now. Curator: Perhaps it's less about reading every word, and more about the overall impression it gives – a sense of learnedness and importance. Editor: A performance of erudition. I get it. Well, it's certainly a relic of a different time. Curator: A fascinating window into the world of early modern print culture.