Printer's Mark of the Aldus Firm c. 16th century

Curator: This is the printer's mark of the Aldus Firm, a title page that's heavy with symbolism. It's like a little Renaissance power emblem. Editor: Yes, there is something almost oppressive about it, the eagles especially, but I think the composition finds balance through the cherubic figures. Curator: They are almost crushed under the weight of the iconography, aren't they? The anchor and dolphin motif speaks to Aldus' motto: festina lente, “make haste slowly." Editor: Precisely. The details create an immediate sense of intellectual authority, of course, but also of the enduring human desire to balance action and reflection. Curator: It really encapsulates the spirit of the Renaissance printing press, doesn't it?